Battle lines were drawn in Hall 7 of the 41st Sharjah International Book
Fair, as the Sumo Robot Workshop combined learning with competition,
teaching attendees how to create robots using Lego pieces, connect them
with coded sensors, take their ‘Sumo” models into the ring and see who
emerges as ‘Yokozuna, the grand champion.’
With a focus on coding and building, the one-hour workshop targeting teens
and adults is as much about building robots as it is about teaching the
participants how to programme them. To make their robots stronger, each
team must programme the main processor, the sensor and the motors.
“There is a black line on the corner of the table; participants need to add a
colour sensor so whenever the robot sees black colour, it should turn to
avoid falling from the table. The robots also need to attack the other robots;
that’s the goal. The one who falls will lose the game,” says Yazan Dardas,
Computer Engineer, Fun Robotics.
“The more complex the programming, the stronger the robot. And only that
one wins the game,” Yazan said, adding, “It’s not really a competition, but it
is a lot of fun.”
From stimulating workshops to children’s programmes, cultural shows, and
cook-offs, as well as a host of exciting and imaginative activities, there is
something for everyone at SIBF 2022, which runs until November 13 at
Expo Centre Sharjah.