IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 85
The Engineering Design Challenge
Bridges Gaps in the MENA Region
T
he Engineering Design Chal-
lenge (EDC) is the first open-
platform university-level
robotics competition targeted
for the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA) Region. It was launched for
the first time at the American Uni-
versity of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon by
the AUB Robotics Club in 2015. The
AUB Robotics Club started in 2015
with the hope to build a close-knit
group of members who carry an interest
in robotics-related fields. The club org-
anized workshops and competitions
and worked on several projects since its
inception. After the quick growth of
its community in the AUB, the club
joined the IEEE's umbrella, becoming
the first IEEE Robotics and Automation
Society Student Chapter in Lebanon.
The EDC, as a concept, filled part
of the gap between theory and practice
in engineering education in the
MENA Region. The lack of hands-on
experience of university-level gradu-
ates is pervasive for most university
graduate engineers, and because of
this, the EDC gained rising appeal.
Unlike other international robotics
competitions, which typically are unaf-
fordable or unsuitable for MENA engi-
neering students, the EDC is tailored
to the Region's needs. As a student ini-
tiative with limited resources and sup-
port, the EDC 1.0 started small, with
six teams competing under the theme
of "Who Leads on Water?" The suc-
cessful first edition of the EDC built a
base for a more experienced and well-
oriented organizational team. Learning
from the experience, the club orga-
nized comprehensive training for the
teams competing in the EDC 2.0.
On 12 February 2017, the EDC 2.0
took place under the theme "Drive
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2017.2707678
Date of publication: 13 June 2017
Sri Krishna College Student Branch Chapter
The Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology IEEE Robotics and
Automation Society Student Branch Chapter participated in a workshop titled
"FANUC Industrial Robotics and Plant Design," held on 23 July 2016.
Smarter" (Figures 1-6). Seventeen teams
from 11 universities competed to win
the EDC champion title. Teams pre-
pared their robots to autonomously per-
form predefined missions to score
points. In addition, teams prepared a
15-min presentation to defend their
designs in front of a jury of experts
from universities and industry to secure
40% of their score. After the long
day concluded, prizes adding up to
US$3,000, in addition to other titles,
were given to winners.
The success of the EDC 2.0 in ac-
hieving its regional goals is remarkable.
Qualifications for the EDC took place
Figure 1. Dr. Elie Shammas (center, seated) judging a round in the Shawarma Express
challenge.
june 2017
*
IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE
*
85
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - Cover1
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - Cover2
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 1
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 2
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 3
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 4
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 5
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 6
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 7
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 8
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 9
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 10
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 11
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 12
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 13
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 14
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 15
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 16
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 17
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 18
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 19
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 20
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 21
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 22
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 23
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 24
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 25
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 26
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 27
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 28
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 29
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 30
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 31
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 32
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 33
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 34
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 35
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 36
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 37
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 38
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 39
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 40
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 41
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 42
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 43
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 44
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 45
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 46
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 47
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 48
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 49
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 50
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 51
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 52
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 53
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 54
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 55
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 56
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 57
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 58
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 59
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 60
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 61
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 62
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 63
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 64
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 65
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 66
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 67
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 68
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 69
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 70
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 71
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 72
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 73
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 74
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 75
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 76
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 77
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 78
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 79
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 80
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 81
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 82
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 83
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 84
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 85
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 86
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 87
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 88
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 89
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 90
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 91
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 92
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 93
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 94
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 95
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - 96
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - Cover3
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2017 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com