Robotics Showcase: Byte-Sized Solutions for Big Problems
By Li Xiaotian, Loke Tian Min, Lim Ming Kai Kayden
And the penultimate event of SIMC2.0 begins! In the Robotics Showcase, twenty-two Explore groups presented the fruits of their four-day labour, using innovative AI technology to solve real-world problems in a Singaporean context. With the first two days having been dedicated to workshops and the next two to developing their solutions, there is no doubt that a lot of work has been put into these final products.
As we entered the venue, we could watch the groups frantically rehearsing and doing some final tests on their robots. Some of the more attention-grabbing stations, whose robots were already engaged in lifting or sweeping the assigned objects in extravagant motions while sliding sideways on omni-wheels to chase the target, already had a visitor or two, and they held the focus of their patrons with a combination of enthusiastic presentation and mind-bending demonstration.
As the event progressed, the pace picked up, with voters pouring in, giving all the stations a chance to show their robot’s prowess. The volume of engaged chatter rose, as presenters addressed their patrons’ queries. A uniform hum of activity was present in the air from the whirling motors of the bots. The Robotics Showcase was in full swing.
Ten minutes later, the buzz of conversation between voters and presenters dissolved into murmurs between deciding voters and excited whisperings of confident competitors. The robots tended to their complex tasks with nary a hitch, unsupervised. In a rush of deliberation and merriment, the presentation concluded in the crowded hall.
As an autonomous litter-collecting robot rolled onto the showcase floor, a small crowd from the Endeavour Track quickly gathered around it. Built by students from Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road), the robot moved with surprising confidence, scanning its surroundings through a camera system before locking onto the item in the floor. Without a single command or human intervention, it navigated toward the item, precisely picking it up.
The Endeavour Track students were visibly mesmerized by the effectiveness of the robot. What started off as just a simple idea had evolved into something that impressed high school students from all over the world.
Throughout the showcase, one booth seemed to constantly draw a crowd, the project by students from CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School (Secondary). From curious passers-by to enthusiastic participants from overseas, students steadily gathered around the display, eager to see how the team had tackled the complex challenge of elderly monitoring.
The booth quickly became one of the liveliest corners of the hall, with students and educators alike wanting to learn more about their ambitious project. By the end of the session, the students had not only showcased their technical skills, but also their ability to spark meaningful discussion about how we can use technology to help the elderly and society’s most vulnerable.
Students from Chung Cheng Secondary School (Yishun) had a unique design as well. Having noticed a problem of litter cluttering in our shared spaces, they used the skills they learnt in the first four days of SIMC2.0 to tackle it head-on, innovatively employing a lever system to compact trash.
As the Robotics Showcase draws to a close, Epigraph would like to congratulate all groups on their hard work. We wish participants all the best in their endeavours, and no matter the result, Epigraph hopes that they are all proud of themselves!