The University of Lagos has held its maiden Robotics competition. The event attracted participants from various departments of the institution. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE and EBUNOLUWA ADENIJI were there.
It was the first of its kind. For that ocassion, participants only came from the institution. The maiden Robotics Competition organised by the Computer Science Departments of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was an opener of sorts. It was held at Jelili Omotola Hall.
The competition’s coordinator, Dr Chika Yinka-Banjo, said it generated wide interest, adding that the university got more than the entrants it wanted.
“For this competition, we wanted 10 teams, 21 applied. It was massive.You can see that the passion is so much. We had to screen; we had to review their design, checked before we could select the participants. A lot wanted to participate but because of funding we could not take them all – because UNILAG had to get sponsors to buy these equipment for them, to buy the equipment they coupled. We eventually got a sponsor that financed the cash prizes,” she said.
The teams drawn from engineering, computer science, physics and economics departments to take on the Maze challenge – which required them to move their car robots – which they built from scratch – through a maze set at the venue, within five minutes. The maze was coded in green, red, black and blue in some areas to serve as direction for the autonomous cars to follow.
Wherever there was black, it meant there was no way; wherever there was red, the cars were to stop; yellow, they were to turn around and find another way; and wherever they saw blue, it meant the robot had made it to the end of the maze.
A panel of four assessors, Prof Ayo Oyediran, Dr Fashina Ebun, Prof Abiodun Musa-Aibinu and Dr Sunday Adetona, judged the contestants.They assessed how well the robots followed the colour codes. Some colour sensor did not work well, so they turned round on one spot and could not make much progress. However, eight teams completed the maze, though in extra time. One of them, Autodroid even got their robot to the maze in four minutes and 59 seconds. But it was not enough to get them the star prize. Their prodding cost them some marks and landed them in third place with 69 points. They won N30,000. In second place was Team Joda, which got 71 points and was rewarded with N50,000. Team Overrides won with 72 points and received N150,000.
In addition to their prize money, the teams got N10,000.
The programme also featured a display of humanoids (robots with human form) playing football. Some students hacked the humanoids and to reprogramme them to be autonomous and move on their own.
Team Overrides, which comprised Timilehin Tayo (Electrical/Electronics Engineering), Tayo Ogunbiyi (Computer Engineering), Dare Adewunmi (Elect/Elect), and Emeka Okafor (Mechanical Engineering), all 400-Level students, were overjoyed.
Timilehin, who spoke on their behalf, said they felt happy that their effort was not in vain.
“We put a lot of effort into it and a lot of practical and sleepless nights. We did not work separately; we worked together as a team to make permanent our robot design. It took us one month and some weeks before we could complete the tasks and do it perfectly. This competition is very worthwhile. We need more contributions in this country to promote technology and computer science.
“In this competition we have learnt so much – optimisation, team work and how to design. If there is chance for us to perform in the next edition, we will be glad because we have more experience now. I think we should be able to perform better if we have opportunity to perform in next edition,” he said.
Yinka-Banjo, who has a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics from the UNILAG, said the aim of the contest was achieved because it generated interest in a field that is taking the world by storm. She said it was necessary to make the knowledge of robotics and artificial intelligence popular so that Nigerians could learn to use it to solve problems.
“The aim is to spread the gospel of robotics in Nigeria. We want them to see, touch and build, so they will be able to understand and check whether they have the passion to go in that line. Just like in the scriptures that say if you don’t preach how will they know? If you don’t show them, how will they see? In those days of computer, it was only the whites that could touch them. But now, everyone, even my small son that is four years old, has. It is ubiquitous now; it is everywhere. That is where we are going; so we are starting from scratch, step by step,” she said.
Yinka-Banjo said robotics can be used to solve many problems in the country.
“We can use it to solve any problem you have. You know that robots do operations on human beings. We have not gotten there, but the West has got there. Robots can go into the underground mine and save miners; they can go into harsh environments like underwater to do some inspections; some surveillance. Now they can watch our pipelines to check when vandals in the Niger Delta are going to vandalise it. Now these are the things we can use robots for, because those areas are very hazardous to human lives. But there are other things they can do – you can use them for repetitive work,” she said.
One of the participants, Ferdinand Akpan, a 400-Level student of Physics (Electronics), said participating in the competition taught him team work, apart from exposing him to the technicalities of building robots.
“I have learnt so much. One of them, team work, because the competition time was short and we had to brainstorm to do this. Generally, the world is into AI. In school and outside, we are being encouraged to learn about robotics, automobile intelligence.This is good because countries like Dubai that started recently in AI has really grown. If we can build ourselves, we will also make progress,” he said.
Team Code Angels, an all-girl team, was part of a group of students that volunteered to support the organisers of the contest. The team built its robot, but did not participate in the contest.
Chiamaka Onuora, a member of the Team Code Angels, said being a part of the contest had demystified robotics for her.
“My interest in robotics has increased. I am bit more confident going into robotics and I can do some little projects on my own,” said the 400-Level Computer Science student.
Some pupils of the International School, University of Lagos (ISL) were at the event. One of them, John Nwaigbo, said he learnt a lot just by watching the competition and asking questions from the participants.
“Our teacher told us about this competition and I was interested. Since I came here I have learnt a lot of things. I talked to the competitiors and they showed us a lot of components and how to use them. They explained to us various ways the robots respond to colour.
“I feel that if Nigeria can invest in this area a lot of things can happen in this nation.There are various areas human input is not possible, so if robots can do it, it will be good,” he said.
One of the assessors, Dr Adetona of the Department of Electrical Engineering, said the competition was an avenue for the students to practise all they learnt in class.
“The value of this competition is to show that our students can turn things around; and they can put what they have learnt together and work excellently well. They don’t do only theory, they put it into practice. I think by giving prize to the winners, it will entice other students and make them to participate in the next edition because they know that if they participate they are going home with something,” he said.
Next year, Yinka-Banjo said UNILAG would involve other tertiary institutions in the contest. She also said there were plans to share the gospel of robotics at the grassroots – with secondary school pupils, whom she described as enthusiastic learners.