Colombo, July 23: The first Science and Technology Exhibition on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, organized by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Science and Technology, which was held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) here from July 18 to 21, was a huge draw.
Called the “Shilpa Sena” exhibition, it displayed artefacts of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“In just a few days, thousands of Sri Lankan students and parents rushed to the capital from all directions to visit this unprecedented technology exhibition,” wrote Xinhua journalists Tang Lu and Zhu Ruiqing in a Chinese language report.
The four-day large-scale exhibition covered the Internet, Artificial Intelligence, Nanotechnology, Biology and Renewable Energy.
Since the opening, all the major stalls were crowded with students every day. They were not only interested in watching robot performances, 3D printing, artificial intelligence display, but also participated in various technological experience activities, the Xinhua reporters found.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said at the opening ceremony that Sri Lanka is preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and that artificial intelligence should be given priority in meeting future needs.
Many intelligent and machine-based applications add convenience and fun to the daily life of ordinary people.
There is a very popular street food in Sri Lanka called the “Hoppers” or Appam. The usual practice is to put a spoonful of noodles in a small biscuit and wait a few minutes before starting the next step. The diners are often hungry while waiting. At the fair, a fully automatic hopper making machine was displayed which rolled out a dozen hoppers at a time, to the delight of the visitors.
The entire production was done automatically by the machine, which greatly reduced waiting time.
Sumith Pereira, a sophomore at a polytechnic in Colombo, came to the exhibition with a hand-made robot.
“Being allowed to participate in the technology exhibition is an affirmation of my ability. I will further improve the robot and strive to be able to put it into commercial applications in the future,” Pereira said.
In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Sri Lankan Minister of Science and Technology, Sujeewa Senasinghe, said that with the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, everyone must understand the importance and impact of science and technology on society.
“The purpose of this technology revolution exhibition is to narrow the gap between scientific research and the public, popularize scientific knowledge with them, and find investors for innovative talents,” Senasinghe said.
Sri Lanka is not a country with developed technology, but the government has always attached importance to the popularization of science.
In April of this year, the first satellite designed and manufactured by Sri Lankan engineers called “Ravana 1” was released from an International Space Station.The launch of Ravana 1 set off a wave of space knowledge learning in this Indian Ocean island country.
At this technological revolution exhibition, the space technology exhibition hall attracted a large number of visitors. Many people entered the exhibition hall and went straight to the booth where the “Ravana 1” satellite model was placed.
Engineers involved in the manufacture of this satellite patiently explained how the satellite was produced and how it was launched.
In order to let more children experience the fun of science, the organizers also opened a mathematics laboratory interactive zone, providing puzzle games, Rubik’s cube and other brain games suitable for different ages.
A father who accompanied his daughter to play games in the mathematics experience area said: “I look forward to similar exhibitions. It is very helpful to cultivate children’s interest in science from an early age. I hope that my daughter will become an engineer in the future.”
(Text by Tang Lu and Zhu Ruiqing and photos by Tang Lu of Xinhua News Agency)
