BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Three exchange students from France came to College Boreal to learn, and, at the same time, taught a few valuable lessons to their Canadian hosts.
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Stephane Ikauno (left), El Nabil Hafiani (centre) and Frederic Minet are foreign exchange students from France studying here in Sudbury. They presented their prototype of a robotic arm at College Boreal, which has been hosting an exchange program with a university in France since 1999. |
The students, Frederic Minet, El Nabil Hafiani and Stephane Ikauno, all second-year electrical engineering and industrial data processing students at the Institut Universitaire de Technologie (IUT) in Toulon, France, have been in Sudbury since April designing and building a robotic arm.
The students brought with them their work culture and it turned out to an impressive attribute that surprised their placement supervisor, Marc Gascon.
?What's really interesting is that we learned from them,? said Gascon. ?In their culture, they rest after lunch. To Canadians, we consider it lazy, but it's not. It keeps them awake in the late afternoon. They built the robot in five weeks, when it's something that should have taken three months, and it was a success.?
Despite the seemingly easy progress, the students did have to work hard to bring the robot to life.
?This project was a big challenge for them,? said Gascon. ?They had to integrate two technologies, which had never been done before. First there was the mechanical and electronic design. There was no design template for them to work off.
?They also used the largest servo motor available, so they had to adapt the electronics for that. Then there was the whole programming of the robot side, which was equally challenging.?
The students managed to create a robot arm that can grasp items up to eight kilograms with pincers, such as a wine bottle, and lift it up. It can be controlled from a distance thanks to two 20-year-old Atari joysticks that help operate the robot, simulating a remote controlled action.
?This robot is a prototype and will eventually evolve to be a remote-controlled device,? said Gascon. ?The first step was to prove the theory it could be done, and now the next step is to make it better.?
The exchange program, which Boreal has hosted since 1999 with IUT students, tests students' ability to perform.
?We give the students a project to validate their degrees,? said Gascon. ?We needed to challenge them in electronics, mechanical design and programming. In the real world, such as mining and manufacturing, it's all robotics and it's what those employers are looking for.
?They applied specific techniques, and it gave them unique skills that are transferable and they can now compete for jobs worldwide.?
The schooling experience blew the minds of the students.
?Here, they listen to you,? said Minet about the relatively easy process it was for the students to get the materials and go-ahead from school officials for the robot.
?When you ask for something, you get it right away. In France, no one listens and it takes a long time to get stuff done. I got a professional experience, started to learn English and discovered a new culture. What we learned was an invaluable work experience.?
Minet is planning on getting his business degree.
Ikauno took notice of the size of things in Canada, among other things.
?Everything is big here,? said Ikauno. ?There's big cars, big sandwiches, it's all large. The biggest difference is the mentality and culture and the way we think. I do like the straight roads here. In France, the roads are all curved.?
Ikauno is going to school for another three years to become a teacher in science and engineering.
Hafiani also soaked up the unique experience.
?I learned a lot about English and French,? said Hafiani. ?I even learned some new French. I liked the people and the countryside.?
Hafiani is planning to go to a school of commerce and become a businessman.
The robot is called GEMIARM. The first four letters are the first letters in the students' and Gascon's last names.
The students go back to France at the end of June.
