Mali: the geniuses of Bamako robotics

Translated from French.

Winners at an international competition in Washington, young Malians passionate about robotics are putting their talents to work in a new, brand-new center.

Student at the National School of Engineering, Abdoulaziz experiments with electronic fragments in his room … his first laboratory.

“Generally I use these components, I test them, so that once in a group, I can make my little contribution vis-à-vis the use of these components.” –Sanogo Abdoulaziz, student at the National School of Engineering

Every day, he meets his comrades in a workshop in Bamako, Donilab. They hope to use a magnetic card and a small robot to allow the blind to use public transportation independently.

“Robotics does not just apply as we see on TV as the Terminator to destroy. But here it’s more practical because it applies to social life. This concerns the blind who are a little forgotten by the very large project systems, and we decided to help them.” –Sanogo Abdoulaziz, student at the National School of Engineering

Other applications are possible. Youssouf understood it well. For two years, he has been teaching young people and training them in robotics.

“We realized that it was essential for Mali to return to this area. So we did not wait for the state at the start. We put our own resources, we invested ourselves, body and soul, sometimes money. So the result that is there is only the result of a hard effort and a positive will.” –Youssouf Sall, Manager of the Donilab Research and Development Laboratory

The result, Mali won with this robot sorter, the second place of the First Global Challenge of Washington in robotics. Aboubacar member of the winning team of this international competition has since had great ambitions.

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