Yahoo – AFP,
Marc BURLEIGH, November 11, 2017
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| Robots play soccer as young participants look on at the World Robotics Olympiad being held in Costa Rica (AFP Photo/Ezequiel BECERRA) |
San José
(AFP) - The World Robotics Olympiad, being held in Costa Rica this weekend,
shows human athletes still have little to worry about: sweat and glory do not
compute well when relegated to faceless automatons.
But the
same may not be true for workers, especially those in menial or transport
activities where robots are steadily taking over. Think factory assemblers and
sorters, or even self-driving cars.
Some of the
technology behind the robot revolution could be seen in the Olympiad, which
gathered more than 2,500 people from more than 60 countries in a vast hall on
the outskirts of Costa Rica's capital San Jose -- the first time the event, now
in its 14th year, has been held in the Americas.
Pint-sized
robots packed with sensors and rolling on plastic wheels showed their football
skills by battling rivals on miniature soccer fields.
Others
rolled across tables seeking out blocks of certain colors and sizes to grab and
place within demarcated zones.
It was all
more than child's play for the contestants representing their countries, aged
from six to adult.
"It’s
so difficult," said Hassan Abdelrahem Alqadi, 17, from the United Arab
Emirates.
"We
have to do it in the system and make the robot take the color and go to the
pieces that we want. So it’s very difficult," he said.
The teen,
who hopes to be a mechanical engineer in the oil industry, admitted he had
picked up tips from watching other competitors' practice sessions. He and other
tech-savvy youngsters crowded around dozens of tables -- computers or robots in
their hands -- to observe.
 |
Two
participants prepare a miniature robot during the World Robot Olympiad under
way in Costa Rica, the first time the event has been held in the Americas (AFP
Photo/
Ezequiel BECERRA)
|
Environmental theme
At one
table, a group of Australian teens fine-tuned their contraptions trying to win
possession of a palm-sized transparent "soccer" ball containing a
sensor. The robots were able to detect the ball, grab it while fending off
rivals, and protect the goal area.
Being at
the Olympiad, surrounded by equally bright peers from around the world, was
eye-opening for the teens.
"We’ve
never been to an international competition before, so it’s a new experience. I
can really only compare it to the competitions we’ve had in Australia — in
Australia we've done pretty well," said Tiernan Martin, 13.
The
competition over the weekend was being judged in several age categories, as
well as in the football, university and open tournaments.
This year,
the environment was the overriding theme -- an area in which Costa Rica is at
the forefront.
Thus,
robots had to show their usefulness in sustainable tourism (identifying
protected areas), carbon neutrality (planting trees), and clean energy (seeking
out the best places to set up wind turbines).
 |
Costa
Rica's science and technology minister, Carolina Vasquez Soto, speaking
with
AFP during the World Robotics Olympiad being held in her country (AFP
Photo/
Ezequiel BECERRA)
|
Robots
'help humanity'
Costa
Rica's science and technology minister, Carolina Vasquez Soto, told AFP her
country won the right to host the Olympiad -- hitherto held mostly in Asia --
"for the participation we've had in sustainability, because we are
contributing to that with more and bigger resources."
On the
larger question of what robots, and the associated field of artificial
intelligence, now represent for human workers, the national organizer for the
World Robotics Olympiad, Alejandra Sanchez, was upbeat.
While some
see robots as a threat to jobs, she said she saw them as an opportunity.
"I
think it's really good. It's good they replace human beings in some tasks. But
we are not being discarded -- we're changing the functions for human
beings," she said.
"Before,
a human being was the one painting cars, for example. Now we have a robot
painting vehicles and a human being controlling the robot.... So, it's a
personal opinion, but I believe robots are here to stay, and here to help
humanity."
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