“I came to visit the laboratories and clear up any doubts I had about Telecommunications and Biomedical engineering because they will be my choices when I apply for higher education.” Matilde is a 12th-grade student and one of the many people who arrived at Técnico – Taguspark Campus, on November 11, at 10 a.m., to attend the Open Day, organised by the School’s researchers, professors and students.
“Visitors are always very enthusiastic and surprised that games are developed by Técnico students,” said Carolina Brás, a Computer Science and Engineering MSc student and responsible for the Games Lab project, which was one of four laboratories running simultaneously during the morning. The Dynamical Systems and Ocean Robotics Laboratory at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR), presented the Space Cobot, a collaborative robot designed to assist astronauts inside space stations in orbit. In other rooms, the Stem Cell Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB) demonstrated how its different equipment is useful for its research, and the Social Robotics Laboratory/GAIPS at the Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC-ID) showcased various robots that interact in different ways with humans.
Dozens of activities organised by students, professors and researchers took place in the Central and South Atriums. The Student Support Services provided information about the courses taught at Técnico. “There are a lot of people interested and curious about Técnico, particularly about the courses taught at Taguspark campus”, said Beatriz Carvalho, an Industrial Engineering and Management MSc student and a scholarship holder at Taguspark’s Student Support Unit.
The Técnico professor Ana Paiva gave the lecture “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society” at 11 a.m., where she explained the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) over time and its impact today.
The hands-on activities organised by the ROB9-16 took place in the North Atrium and included “Introdução à Soldadura”, “Pisca Pisca com Arduíno” and “Circuito Elétrico em papel”, where the youngest could explore and challenge their skills on Electronic Engineering.
The live session “Explain it like I’m 5” took place at 3 pm. Pedro Lima, a Técnico professor and ISR researcher, explained how robots work and how do they interact with humans. The session covered topics such as autonomous cars, assessing their location and how they can be driven. A Q&A session took place at the end, where the audience in the room and online, could clarify their doubts.
The Open Day extended beyond science, engineering, technology and architecture. Ana Paula Silva, head of the Taekwondo School of the Técnico Staff Association (APIST), taught some techniques of this martial art. “The class was filled with lots of fun”, said Ana Paula. During lunchtime and in the evening, the Tuna Mista do Instituto Superior Técnico (TMIST) e a Tuna Feminina do Instituto Superior Técnico (TFIST) played, sang and entertained all the visitors in the main atrium.
The 23rd anniversary of Técnico – Taguspark Campus was celebrated with a cake at 4.30 p.m., after a speech by Helena Galhardas, the Vice President for the Management of Taguspark Campus.
