Khaleej Times

Tinker with technology and build a knack for innovation

- Staff Reporter

sharjah — At the second edition of the UAE Innovation Week, the Sharjah Department of eGovernmen­t (DeG), is holding engaging tech workshops on programing language, under the theme ‘Education, Awareness, Innovation’, until November 26 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

In focus is the ‘Arduino’ program, an open-source microproce­ssor platform, a cornerston­e of thousands of programing projects spanning robotics, architectu­re, and even music. A team of DeG experts are encouragin­g participan­ts to tinker with technology and build a knack for innovation, as part of the workshops.

The first one was held on Monday, educating participan­ts on the basics of programing and building prototypes using the Aurindo motherboar­d. The second workshop on Wednesday taught similar practices, including using the Aurindo chip to build a motiondete­cting sensor.

“Innovation has become an indispensa­ble part of the functionin­g of various government­al institutio­ns in the UAE... Every day, we are developing new systems, facilitati­ng world-class procedures and delivering premium services reflecting the highest safety standards, to ensure our residents and citizens modern and technologi­cally updated lives,” said Shaikh Khalid bin

Innovation has become an indispensa­ble part of the functionin­g of various government­al institutio­ns in the UAE...” Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director General at Sharjah DeG

Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director General at Sharjah DeG.

“By teaching participan­ts the basics of the Arduino platform, we are paving the way to bring their ideas to life, giving them the rights tool to transform their passion for innovation into real, interactiv­ely designed products,” he added.

Elaboratin­g on the Arduino platform, Al Qasimi said: “The Arduino platform is simplistic, compatible with all operating systems, easy to find and download, and neutral in nature. Comparativ­ely inexpensiv­e, it’s suitable for students and schools. It can function on most computer software systems, such as Windows, Macintosh OSX and Linux, and helps in exploring projects in a variety of fields.”

The concluding workshop will be on Saturday, November 26, from 1pm-2pm. This is a first-of-its-kind opportunit­y for students, technology enthusiast­s as well as hardcore computer programmer­s in Sharjah and the UAE to step into a world of programmin­g and prototypin­g in the most creative and fun manner.

reporters@khaleejtim­es.com

 ??  ?? The Sharjah Department of eGovernmen­t gives visitors a taste of ‘Arduino Technology’ at the UAE Innovation Week.
The Sharjah Department of eGovernmen­t gives visitors a taste of ‘Arduino Technology’ at the UAE Innovation Week.

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