About
The Library and the Faculty of Engineering are working together to create a new Library staff member. We hope to employ a robot at each of our Libraries. They will act as brand ambassadors, assist with marketing and provide basic assistance. We are now in the final stages of creating the prototype.
![NWU Robot NWU Robot](/sites/library.nwu.ac.za/files/files/images-library/nwu-robot-web-4.png)
Follow our progress...
January - October 2022
- Define the user requirement specifications.
- Build a functional chassis for the robot (this includes electrical motors, wheels, chassis and power supply).
- 3D Printing and assembly.
- Procure the necessary electronic sensors and relevant control systems for essential object avoidance, HMI (human-machine interface) and mapping.
- Configure a natural-language-processing-based chatbot with the same knowledge base as the LibAnswers FAQ section.
- Work with speech-to-text conversion in laboratory conditions.
- Work with the touch screen functionality.
- Integrate speech-to-text with the chatbot.
- Enable the robot to move around a constrained environment without getting lost.
January - August 2023
- Three robot shells are to be designed by Postgraduate Graphical Design students.
- The robot moves independently through a pre-mapped (and constrained) environment without getting lost.
- The robot moves independently on the ground floor of the library.
- Apply Library functionality. E.g. the robot must give automated visual directions to specific library facilities and learn from its mistakes
- Testing of chatbot and knowledge base.
- The robot must use a multiple personality module - adjust the chatbot's approach to each conversation.
- Allow the user and bot to converse in Setswana and Afrikaans.
Meet our team
Prof Pieter van Vuuren
Faculty of Engineering
+27 18 299 1901
Prof Henri Marais
Faculty of Engineering
+27 18 299 1973
Vacant
Faculty of Engineering
Neli Tshabalala
Director Shared Services
+27 (0)18 299 2781
Cecil Gasa
Manager
+27 (0)18 299 2801
Lizwi Njani
IT-Consultant
+27 (0)18 299 4673
Elize van Eldik
Web Developer
+27 (0)18 285 2441