The world is veering towards the age of robotics. When you look around, especially in cities and megacities, chances are high that you can see robots and automation.

The intelligence and the analytical skills of the Filipinos aren’t behind when it comes to robotics. While our technology might be lagging, our capabilities are world-class. Thankfully, some schools and Philippine executive departments nurture this skill by integrating robotics into the school’s curriculum.

The hope of the nation: 3D printing and robotics in education

Robotics is “one of the skills 21st-century learners need in order to succeed in life,” De La Salle Santiago Zobel School International Robotics Coordinator Genevieve Pillar stated in a Philippine News Agency (PNA) article.

Pillar added that once the students from their school enter junior high school, they are given the freedom to create everything from scratch. When doing the robot’s cases, they use 3D printing — another technology that has been making the rounds due to its versatile applications.

The president of the Philippine Robotics Team Anthony Gabitan said in the same PNA news article that robotics has a crucial role in solving the current and future problems in the country. He also stated that robotics is not only limited to humanoids but “all innovations are all part of it.”

“The future of Philippine robotics is really bright,” Dr. Josette Biyo, the director of the Science Education Institute (SEI) exclaimed in an article published in the portal of the Department of Science and Technology. She also added that the “increased participation of schools in various robotics contests” signifies a huge potential for the field.

Enhancing the quality of life: Medical robotics and 3D printing applications

One of the astounding 3D printing applications in the field of robotics and medicine is the creation of the Agapay Exoskeleton.

Agapay Exoskeleton, as the official website of De La Salle University, reads, is a cost-efficient and high performance “3D printed wearable robot” biomimetically designed to assist the upper limbs movements — shoulder, arm, and hand — of post-stroke and injured patients. The biomedical engineers from De La Salle University and experts from the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital consist of the research team that develops the project.

A faster way of manufacturing?

3D printing alone is already a marvelous product of science and technology. But when combined with the advanced capabilities of robotics and automation, it can result to a game-changing product that can alter our way of life and the way we see the world.

There’s no significant news yet in the Philippines that showcases 3D printing applications, combined with robotics, in the manufacturing industry. But this possibility, given the intelligence and skills of Filipinos, is not far from becoming a reality.

As a matter of fact, this robotic additive manufacturing is already a reality overseas. A good example of this is the hybrid 3D printer combined with an industrial robot and a welding machine that can create large metal three-dimensional constructions. It was developed by a Dutch company.

The world is moving forward robotics and automation. This is a reality that we have to accept and adapt.

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