17 year old Isah Auwal Barde, a young Nigerian innovator, invented a robot that is operated with a robotic exoskeleton remote control, a technology that controls the robot through demonstration with parts of his body.
Isah, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), told the agency that he developed passion for creativity since his childhood and attended the Government Secondary School School (GSS), Sabuwar-Kofa, Kano in 2021, where he graduated with seven credits including science courses in West African Examination Council (WAEC).
The invention took him two years to build, which he used local materials like DC motors, copper wires, pipes, corrugated cardboard as well as metal, among others, as the robot works with electricity.
The younger innovator expressed his desires of becoming a robotics engineer, so he can produce robots that can be used in addressing security challenges plaguing the country.
He attributed accolades to his father for pushing and encouraging him towards the successful completion of the project and also shared plans of getting a scholarship to further his education abroad to fulfil his dreams of becoming a robotics engineer.
By reason of his talents in robotics engineering, officials from the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) paid him a visit, a digital innovation and research facility centered on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Drones, Internet of Things (IoT), and other upcoming technologies targeted at transforming the Nigerian digital economy.
The digital company pledged to make arrangements for him to gain admission to study Computer Engineering in one of the universities in the West African nation.
Isah’s father, Auwal Barde said he constantly encouraged the young innovator and never stopped him from achieving his potential. He said, “ I have been giving him words of encouragement and telling him that he will become a robotics engineer in future”.
He also petitioned the government to grant his son a scholarship to learn robotics engineering abroad.