Ifugao culture-inspired robots are the Philippines’ entries in the World Robotics Olympiad in Jakarta, Indonesia this November, accoding to a report on State of the Nation.
“[Ang] mga youth ngayon, they’re mainly engaged sa mga gadgets,” said Romyr Cruz, Head Coach of the Dr. Yangas Colleges High School Robotics Center, in a report by Dano Tingcungco. “So, parang nawawalan [na] sila ng interes na magtanim or doon sa mga usual activities na pinamana pa ng mga ancestors nila,”
The first robot, called the ProTrek, was inspired by the native purse of the Ifugao called the pakising. It was designed to store things that a navigator might need in exploring the terraces, such as an umbrella, a headlight, a Swiss knife, a compass, and a map.
It has secure compartments that are only accessible through a registered tourist’s card. The robot is also a tour guide, automatically orienting tourists through a built-in speaker and is equipped with a tracker similar to a GPS.
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