UAE Innovation Week to wind up with a record

Dubai - The attempt will take place in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa in the 'Innovation Hub' set up in Burj Park.

The UAE will bring Innovation Week to a close on Saturday by attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the most amount of mechanical energy generated by static bikes by humans in one hour.
The attempt will take place in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa in the 'Innovation Hub' set up in Burj Park. The event, which is hosted by the General Secretariat of the Executive Council, opened to the public on Wednesday.
"We're attempting to break the record here, and we are gathering over 200 cyclists for it," said Ali Al Mulla, representative of the Dubai Committee for UAE Innovation Week. "That hopefully will be a great show and we encourage everyone to come and cheer."
Anybody can join the attempt which begins everyday at 10pm until Saturday.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Al Mulla that the Innovation Hub has been set up to show people "how innovation affects daily life."
As an example, Al Mulla pointed to the hub's 'tech tent'.
"In the tech tent we've got a showcase of different innovations, be it 3D printing, robotics and the Internet of Things," he said. "This all shows how innovation can be part of daily life."
"We also want to take innovation away from the thought of technology alone," he added. "Innovation is a method of thinking, and it's basically thinking outside of your normal comfort zone, in terms of how one can make things better."
Among the government entities represented at the innovation hub is Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which is showcasing a drone.
"It's a very smart drone. Basically what it does is take readings from traffic and generates 3D modelling," he noted. "This is here for people to come and see live."
Other features are a 'Virtual Reality racer' that immerses users in a digital environment while on a tricycle, as well as an interactive running track called 'Race Against'.
"This is for kids to see how they'd fare in a race against animals, like a human being against a cheetah, or a hippo, to see the difference in speed."
The largest display at the Innovation Hub is that of the Dubai Health Authority.
"The whole theme there is how innovation can one someone their own doctor," Al Mulla explained.
Among the innovations DHA has on display is the "Happiness Prescription" project that aims to treat patients not only by prescribing medication, but also by prescribing nutritional and physical programmes.
Another project that the DHA will be launching at the hub is the 'Healthy Living' project, which aims to encourage the public to burn calories while sitting in public places by having mobile pedals.
bernd@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai