ICT students at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology won first prize at the recent Malta Robotics Olympiad, in which youths displayed their creativity and problem-solving skills through a series of challenging and educational robotic competitions.

ICT students Noel Mizzi, Brendan Schembri, John Fenech and Ian Chetcuti developed a robot called Robotic Prescription Dispensing System, to help patients acquire medication without the need for medical staff to be physically present. It is also caters for patients with visual and hearing impairment disabilities. The students were guided by lecturer Franco Farrugia.

The robot has a camera capable of recognising a patient’s facial features and a container divided into compartments to hold pills. The container revolves according to the time programmed by the professional staff or carers and the patient retrieves the pills from an empty slot.

The students also developed a website to control and store the data remotely.

Prof. Tony Dyson, developer of the robot R2-D2 featured in Star Wars movies, attended the olympiad and gave a keynote speech entitled ‘Robots of the Future’. The event was organised by the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) and the Department of eLearning.