Wide-eyed kids explore future cities' potential

Sharjah - The boys were impressed and one of them said he would like to study robotic engineering in the future to help their mother with household chores.

Six-year-old Moroccan girl Hajar and her five-year-old brother Yahya just took off their VR (virtual reality) headsets and they both exclaimed: Fantastic! They just had a glimpse of how life would be in Mars a couple of decades from now when the UAE will send its first residents to the Red Planet.
The two kids were exploring the Future Cities section at the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF), running until April 28 at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
Hajar and Yahya, who were accompanied by their parents at the SCRF told Khaleej Times on Thursday: "We were scared at first because what we saw was just bare and full of mountain rocks but eventually it became fun as we had a chance to explore planet Mars on VR. Now we are curious to learn more about other planets."
It is this same curiosity that the Future Cities section wants to imbibe among the visiting kids. Aside form learning about the possible future of man living on Mars, the futuristic section also makes kids time travel into the future.
Palestinian siblings Omar, 6, and Khaled, 5, experienced how coffees and teas will be served to their parents in the future. They saw how their mother ordered a tea on a touch screen and a robotic arm or Café Bot conveniently served it to her.
The boys were impressed and one of them said he would like to study robotic engineering in the future to help their mother with some household chores.
The development of robotics took the centre stage at the Future Cities section - from the history of Leonardo da Vinci's Mechanical Knight contraption in 1495 to Karel Capek, a Czech writer who first coined the word 'robot' in 1921; to the first industrial robots used in factories and assembly lines in the 1960s and to the VRs, Google glasses and drone deliveries in recent years.
"Exhibitions and festivals like this truly widen our knowledge and inspire us to learn," said Marwa, 14, Grade 9 student, who attended SCRF for the first time. She and her schoolmates at Manar Al Ilm School traveled all the way from Abu Dhabi to Sharjah to participate at the SCRF. 
"We want to know more about the future and we are excited to see things and explore the technical innovations," added Rahaf, another Grade 9 student at the same school. 
For Rahaf, she was impressed how the future office would look like in the future where there is no need for papers or pens, desktops and human office assistants. "Once you are seated on your chair, just call your AI (artificial intelligent) powered robot assistant and you can get updates or any documents you need. The robot can even prepare your tea," she said. 
"Travel will also be breeze as the air space will be utlised and we will see flying vehicles," Rahaf added. "Robot tutors and teachers will help in classrooms and assist students with their home works. 
"But everything starts with reading," Marwa underlined. "Information is needed and, as students, we should read a lot so we can contribute in creating a bright future," she concluded. 
angel@khaleejtimes.com
 

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