London college deploys ‘humanoid’ robot for learning

The Computing and ICT Department at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London’s College will soon be home to a fully programmable, one metre tall UXA-90 Light “humanoid” robot – the only one of its type in the UK according to distributor Robosavvy.

Developed by Robobuilder in Korea, the UXA-90 Light (pictured) will provide an extra level of fun and interest for EHWLC’s Programming Club, while being instrumental in HND programming projects.

The robot – to be named by college students later this year – will also feature in BTEC Level 1 & 2 courses, along with the new Level 3 course in Virtual and Augmented Reality.

The robot comes pre-programmed to dance, give presentations and even play football. However, it is the wide ranging programming and behavioural software which will really be of benefit to students.

Marie Duquesne, curriculum manager for computing and ICT, said: “The robot offers a great opportunity to engage learners in a positive, fun way. Students will learn how to program the robot to perform various tasks, helping them prepare for a career in IT.”

The UXA-90 Light will arrive at an exciting time for EHWLC’s Computing and ICT Department, with campus ICT suites being completely refurbished with new “top of the line” PCs. Students will also be able to take advantage of the Oculus Rift virtual reality system, while developing a virtual reality market experience in partnership with the local North End Market.

@AntonySavvas

Antony Savvas

York, UK-based Antony Savvas has been a technology journalist for 25 years and has expertise in all major areas of enterprise and consumer IT. He has worked for a number of leading technology magazines and websites and his work is syndicated across the internet. He also undertakes corporate work for some of the world's leading technology companies.