Students from the Faculty of Technology and Education win £125,000 in support for a smart 3D printer project to serve people with special needs.

Students from the Faculty of Technology and Education win £125,000 in support for a smart 3D printer project to serve people with special needs.

Students from the Faculty of Technology and Education have won EGP 125,000 in funding for a smart 3D printer project to serve people with disabilities. The project was sponsored by Professor Dr. Tarek Ali, President of the University; Professor Dr. Hamada Mohamed, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs; Professor Dr. Mervat Refaat, Dean of the Faculty of Technology and Education; and Professor Dr. Essam Hamad, Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs. It was supervised by Dr. Mohamed El-Sayed Abdel-Barr, Coordinator of Special and Distinguished Programs at the Faculty and supervisor of the project. As part of efforts to support innovation and promote a culture of entrepreneurship among Egyptian university students, a team of students from the Industrial Electronics and Control Technology program at the Faculty of Technology and Education achieved a remarkable accomplishment by securing financial and technical support through the "Your Project... Your Startup" program of the Fund for the Care of Innovators and Talented Individuals. The EGP 125,000 grant will support and implement their innovative graduation project, titled: "Design and Implementation of a Smart 3D Printer Equipped with a Robotic Arm to Assist People with Disabilities." The project aims to develop an integrated system for a smart 3D printer designed to serve people with disabilities. It utilizes an interactive, voice-activated operating system, allowing users to easily control the printing process without the need for traditional visual interfaces. This empowers users to benefit from digital manufacturing technologies more independently. The project also includes a robotic arm that retrieves printed models from the printing platform and delivers them to the user after printing is complete. This facilitates the use of 3D printers for people with mobility or visual impairments and promotes the concept of inclusive design that considers the needs of diverse segments of society. The project integrates a range of modern technologies, including microcontroller control systems, 3D printing technologies, and voice interaction systems, to provide a more user-friendly and efficient experience. The project was implemented under the supervision of Dr. Mohamed El-Sayed Abdel-Barr, and the project team comprises several fourth-year students from the Electronics Technology (Industry and Control) Department, led by student Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Ali, the team leader. Other members include: Ahmed Hassanin Mahmoud Shaaban, Ali Mufreh Sayed, Abdel-Sattar Hamed Abdel-Sattar, Hussein Salah Saad Abu El-Reesh, Zeinab Emad El-Din Mahmoud, Israa Ibrahim Sabry Abdel-Ghani, Iman Rizk Moawad Gaballah, Youssef Khalil Tawfik Obeid, and Ahmed Kamal Kamel. This achievement reflects the Faculty of Technology and Education's commitment to fostering creativity and innovation among its students and encouraging them to transform graduation projects into practical applications and startups that contribute to the national economy and enhance the role of technology in serving society.