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Babatunde Ishola, 28yr, OAU graduate has built Nigeria’s first robot.Ishola, who hails from Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State is 3rd of family of five.
A first Class Hons. Graduate of the Electrical and Electronics Department of the OAU was part of the OAU iLab team – research collaboration between Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT and OAU, where he learned the development of remote line laboratories, a good substitute to conventional lab.
His new invention allows students to control real laboratory equipment over the internet.
According to Ishola, “the remote labs are a great substitute for experimentation in Nigerian university given the chronic underfunding of higher institutions of learning, we get to see about 10 students clustered around a piece of lab equipment. With the remote labs, this problem is eliminated as only one equipment is needed regardless the number of students as students only get to access the lab remotely (over the internet) but without the time and space restriction associated with the conventional labs”.
“This invention are currently in used by students of OAU” He said.
Most of his works are independently researched, leveraging on the Massive Open Online Course, since courses are not been offered on this subject in Nigeria Universities.
Other projects he has laid his hands on include : A locally fabricated Humanoid (looks and walks like humans) robot; Autonomous rover (vehicle that drives itself using camera as input and Artificial Intelligence); Robotic Arm used in an automated remote laboratory for a civil engineering experiment.
He has trained several students and staffs of OAU, UI and Bells University. He also conducts robotics training (Lego Mind storm) for secondary school students teaching them how to build and program robots and prepare them to compete in the World Robotics Olympiad.
Driven by research development on human race and imparting lives. He has designed a motion capture suit that could help Stroke patients in their recovery process. This was achieved by capturing the motion of wearer using motion sensors attached to the suit, the same technology could be used in animation industry (in place of Kinect) to capture an actor’s motion and saved as a BVH, BIP or STP file for realistic animation, it’s indeed a much better solution than Kinect.
Some of awards credited to his works include : the Microsoft Nigeria’s Most Innovative Student Award during the Microsoft Imagine Cup Nigeria in 2011; Winner of the Education category of Samsung Apps Developers’ Content (2010) and came third overall in Nigeria. With such rare combination of a good academic standing and practical expertise.
Meanwhile, Ishola has advised students to push the limit and never be afraid.
“My advice to students out there: push the limits; don’t be afraid to go the extra mile after all, only those who go too far can possibly know how far they can go”
“I look forward to developing robotic systems as solution to unique challenges being faced in Nigeria in areas as agriculture, medicine, rehabilitation among other. I am a firm believer that the problem being faced by a nation can only be solved effectively by resident of that nation as only they can fully experience in the unique challenges around”
“I do wish I had been introduced to robotics much earlier (like in secondary school) and so I am determined to help students in this category to have those things I wish I had”
Ishola, who is currently in the United States of America is an inventor, roboticist, researcher, electrical engineer and software developer.
CREDIT—–LUKMANFASASINEWS