Two years ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and the Ruler of Dubai, launched the Smart City project with education, health care and security being powered by technology. At the centre of that effort are the country’s technophiles, who share ideas and aid innovation.
On Saturday, June 13, GeekFest 2015 will celebrate that spirit of collaboration at Impact Hub Dubai. Organisers have returned to the basics of the first event that was held in 2009 by founders Alexander McNabb and Saadia Zahid in Dubai, after which it spread to other countries in the Middle East. Expect talks on “The internet of things” and “Social media clichés”, and workshops on educational games and Oculus Rift, a new virtual reality headset. Dubai-based DJ and music producer Kapital 7 will be spinning tunes at the festival.
Gadget demos
French wireless products manufacturer Parrot will be giving geeks a rundown and demonstration of some of its latest drones, including the mini-drone Rolling Spider and Bebop quadcopter. Drones have been used as a military tool since 2000, but now have become popular for artistic and leisure purposes. Mini-drones are a regular feature in photo and video production, and these unmanned aerial vehicles are also increasingly being used in more novel ways. Officials in China are using them to catch students cheating in exams, while Amazon is testing it for deliveries.
François-Xavier Charbonnel, the sales manager for Parrot in Middle East, Africa and India, says drones are gaining populating for production projects in the UAE, too.
“We have noticed that the government is pushing the professional use of drones. At the same time they are setting down regulations on their use, which is essential,” he says. Parrot began developing drones for commercial use in 2010.
The UAE launched the Drones for Good Award last year to promote the use of drones in ways that can improve people’s lives. The economic impact of this industry is projected to grow to between US$8 billion and $10bn (up to Dh36.7bn) by 2025.
“Here we see a lot of people interested in using drones to take high-definition video footage, especially during off-roading and desert excursions.”
Techno cases
A 3Doodler bar will be set up for visitors to try their hand at 3-D printing by the laser-etching company Precise, which will be leading workshops at the event. The world’s first 3-D printing pen, the doodler is a starting point to understand 3-D printing and is popular with artists and designers.
Precise also works with the education company Edutech to incorporate 3-D printers in Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and innovation studios for science and robotics.
Art Alley
The Middle East Film & Comic Con will have an Art Alley at the event this year, where artists will showcase their work and do on-the-spot sketches. “We always try to support the community and geeks in particular, in Dubai,” says Arafat Ali Khan, the co-organiser of MEFCC. “We decided to bring our popular mini-artist alley to the festival to give these artists and creators an opportunity to meet potential fans and collaborate.”
• GeekFest is at Impact Hub, Downtown Dubai, from 6pm on Saturday, June 13. Entry is free. Visit www.facebook.com/ImpactHubDubai
aahmed@thenational.ae
