Young scientists call for government backing of robotics 38 nations have entered the Robotics Global Competition that will take place in the United States this April 7. Armenia has never entered such a scientific competition. Some young Armenians want to make sure that Armenia is represented as well.

The problem is they have yet to find a sponsor to cover the costs involved. Armenia cut off all robotics funding back in 2009. Robotics started to be discussed in Armenia especially within the past three years. Competitions have been organized every year since 2008 by the Union of Information Technologies Enterprises (UITE) as part of its ArmRobotics program. Ashot Mashouryan, a member of the CyberRow team that tied for third place in the 2010 competition, told Hetq that robotic programming has really started to develop in Armenia, but that automated equipment and robotic engineering lags behind. Ashot is a programmer by profession. He and some friends are the ones who believe that Armenia can enter the upcoming U.S. competition. Government cuts robotics funding These young specialists believe that the Armenian government underestimates the skills of people like themselves and that’s the reason for the funding cut. “No one in the government really knows about robotic engineering. They also don’t know whether Armenians can effectively compete or not. It’s an alien science. Either the government has to risk the funds in this sector or plow the money elsewhere,” says Asatour Petrosyan, a young robotics enthusiast and radio engineer. The young specialists have come up with some promising programs but lack the money to produce anything. They confess that robotic engineering is an expensive passion and thus there needs to be serious financial backing. “They’ll treat us with a bit more respect once we participate in global competitions. It will be easier to attract sponsors to fund sector development,” says Ashot. “There is real potential in the field and we want to see development in Armenia as well. You can’t get anywhere merely on an amateur level. Sure, as individuals we’ll obtain skills and knowledge, but we won’t be able to utilize any of it effectively. It will remain a hobby; an interesting pastime.” Young scientists need $20,000 to compete The boys have already calculated what it would cost for seven of them to travel to the States for the competition – a tad more than $20,000. Even while this figure compares favorably with other competitions, no one has expressed a willingness to help out. The organizers of the Global Robotics Competition present 35-50 tasks to all the participants, and each nation decides how many they want to enter. Since the Armenian lads want to enter 5 categories, they figure that seven of them would have to make the trip. If only five were to go, they could only realistically enter three categories, not five. The chances of winning increase the more categories one is entered in. Ashot says that Armenia has the specialists needed to compete and that many more could be sent if only a sponsor or two came forward. The boys have already performed some of the tasks in Armenia that will appear in the U.S. competition. For example - designing a robot that can place items in a certain order. The robot has to distinguish between garbage and valuables and place each in the correct receptacle. There also is a category where the task is to create a robot that can maneuver through a labyrinth the quickest. All the aspiring Armenians need to do is to renovate some of the existing robots and build a few new ones. They are even willing to cover the costs of preparing new robots themselves. What is crucial is a sponsor with some vision to help defray the $20,000 travel tab. Robotics requires serious research money Ashot Mashouryan says that they sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy here in Armenia requesting assistance. The letter was sent on to the International Development Agency. No answer has yet arrived. Armenia’s UITE has also lent its voice to supporting robotics. It has petitioned the Armenian government to review its decision to halt robotics funding. The government responded that it has no real interest in the field of robotics at this time. The UITE is also searching for a sponsor for the boys. “Maybe officials within the government just don’t believe Armenians have reached a level that can transform investment dollars into practicable results,” says Asatour Petrosyan. While the boys naturally would like to walk away with some top awards at the competition, they confess that they’d get a thrill just participating and showing how competitive they can be. “Sure, it’ll be tough winning some of the top prizes. I mean just look at some of the competition – Japan and India. These countries are top leaders in the field and really come across with the funding. Here in Armenia we have zip. I mean, we don’t even have labs in which to work. We really have to be creative and self-reliant. Geez, we build robots in our own homes,” notes Ashot Mashouryan. None of those currently engaged in robotic building in Armenia have financial backers. They all have other jobs and also lean on family and friends for the needed funds. Still, they argue that it’s not enough to make the investment that needed in the field. “Hey, we’re not talking a measly $50,000 or $100,000. We need mega bucks,” they argue. Along with the lack of funds is the problem of the ticking clock. There’s so little time to adequately prepare. Entries are already being accepted for the competition. In panic mode, the would-be participants have dispatched letters to the president, prime minister and government department heads pleading for help. Robotics can be profitable in Armenia The young egg-heads are convinced that Armenia can make its mark in the robotics sector and can even make a sizeable profit from production. “There are programs out there that can feasibly be cheaper to bring to fruition in Armenia than, say, Japan. It can all be done here. The market will take shape and most importantly, funds will flow in,” says Ashot Mashouryan. Ashot has two programs that operate on an automated system. But he has no funds to build. “Everyone knows about the Smarthome automated system around the world, but it hasn’t reached Armenia. It’s a unit that automatically controls all functions in the home – lighting, security, utilities, etc. Even the windows open and close when the home owner enters or leaves.” Say a family member wakes up in the middle of the night. Presto, the lights go on automatically, but at a dimmer 30% setting. This way your eyes don’t get damaged. Driving home in your car you can fill up the jacuzzi with a SMS from the car. Ashot says such technology can be installed here in Armenia within a year if funding was made available. Such technology is all the rage in Russia today and the demand is huge. Ashot Mashouryan figures that it would cost around $15,000 to automate a three room house with equipment brought from Belgium. It would cost three times less, $5,000, to produce the system here in Armenia. Another of Ashot’s programs, Electronic Guide, has applications for tourism. Visitors to Armenia would be able to use a handheld unit to access information about the country, its people and history. A tourist could walk down a street in Yerevan and using earphones could hear a running commentary on the buildings and sites of interests on the way. The program could also be installed in a cell phone. Tourists wouldn’t need to carry another gadget around with them. Even though the Armenian government has declared that tourism is a vital economic sector, it has yet to express any interest in such technology. “I only need about $1,000 for start-up costs. If I don’t go to America, I’ll start work on my own,” Ashot says.