Professor Charles Yankah
A heart surgeon based in Germany, Professor Charles Yankah, has awarded winners of this year’s National Robotic Challenge at a ceremony at the University of Ghana in Accra.
The artificial heart support system specialist’s award was in recognition of hard work and potential of the participants to develop skills in robotic simulation through advanced teaching by tutors.
The award was in three parts and the winner for the first category christened: “Discover” meant for participants between ages four and six was given GH¢1,000.
The winner for the “Explore” category meant for children between ages seven and nine received GH¢ 1,000 and the winner of the “Challenge” category meant for children between ages 10 and 16 received GH¢ 2,000.
Presenting the award on behalf of Prof. Yankah, Board Chairman of the Camelot Ghana Ltd, Elizabeth Villars, said the award was to incentivise and inspire the participants to do more.
She said Professor Yankah, who is also the President of the African Cultural Institute, was inspired by the robotic simulation training programmes in Ghana at the junior and senior secondary school levels.
“Prof. Charles Yankah, President of African Cultural Institute based in Berlin, Germany who is a heart specialist and a surgeon for artificial heart support systems in Germany has introduced this technology in Cape Town South Africa, where the first human heart transplant was performed.”
According to Elizabeth Villars, it was an avowed intention of Prof. Yankah to promote and help Ghanaian kids and youths to diligently learn robotic simulation in order to become robotic engineers in the near future.
“In the medical field, you can use robots to perform heart, brain or abdominal operations with perfect results,” she said.
Ms. Villars said robotic technology simulation training in secondary schools provided students and future engineers with a valuable platform to unlock their potential in developing their skills to build robots for multi-purpose use.
“Robots are used to perform so many complex tasks in certain challenging situations with precision without endangering the health which a human being cannot do, for example, in industries, during pandemic such as the Covid-19, for room and home services to support disabled persons, for transportation (using the drones), for delicate research work, space and moon, mars exploration as well as in high tech medicine to provide medical treatments to save human lives,” she said.
She also mentioned that the event would help prepare the participants to contribute their quota to the process of industrialisation in Ghana.
“The business communities and the civil society are therefore committed to providing you with an adequate environment and motivation that will promote you to apply your innovative ideas developed from robotic simulation training into practice,” she added.
She thanked the Ministry of Education for supporting the robotic simulation training programmes in the country and parents for their cooperation.
“The tutors and mentors of robotic technology simulation classes deserve great recognition and respect for their devotion and passion for providing priceless scientific education to the youths,” she mentioned.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri