Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs

Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs
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Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs

Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) executed a 10-week cooperative training program for 24 trainees from several universities within the Kingdom, culminating in 12 research projects spanning diverse engineering and scientific fields.
The research projects were centered around the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, including human-robot interaction, advanced robotics, computer vision, generative AI, AI in healthcare, and integrated systems.
The projects also undertook the task of creating initial robotic models and advancing technological solutions employing sophisticated techniques and methodologies for the development of AI models, SPA reported.
Additionally, they assessed and enhanced linguistic models for the AI chatbot “ChatGPT” to align with local content and the Arabic language.
The Vice President of KACST for Future Economies Sector, Dr. Mariam Nouh, indicated that the training program was overseen by a research team of experts in AI and robotics technologies, advancing the skills of both male and female trainees by making use of the city's laboratories and facilities.
The experts provided them with knowledge in future economy domains such as cyber security, smart cities, advanced transportation technologies, earth and space sciences, along with upcoming communication and sensor technologies, Dr. Nouh said.



Intuitive Machines' Athena Lander Closing in on Lunar Touchdown Site

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex-39A carrying the Nova-C lunar lander Athena as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload initiative from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Steve Nesius/File Photo
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex-39A carrying the Nova-C lunar lander Athena as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload initiative from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Steve Nesius/File Photo
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Intuitive Machines' Athena Lander Closing in on Lunar Touchdown Site

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex-39A carrying the Nova-C lunar lander Athena as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload initiative from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Steve Nesius/File Photo
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex-39A carrying the Nova-C lunar lander Athena as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload initiative from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Steve Nesius/File Photo

Intuitive Machines sent final commands to its uncrewed Athena spacecraft on Thursday as it closed in on a landing spot near the moon's south pole, the company's second attempt to score a clean touchdown after making a lopsided landing last year.

After launching atop a SpaceX rocket on Feb. 26 from Florida, the six-legged Athena lander has flown a winding path to the moon some 238,000 miles (383,000 km) away from Earth, where it will attempt to land closer to the lunar south pole than any other spacecraft.

The landing is scheduled for 12:32 pm ET (1732 GMT). It will target Mons Mouton, a flat-topped mountain some 100 miles (160 km) from the lunar south pole, Reuters reported.

Five nations have made successful soft landings in the past - the then-Soviet Union, the US, China, India and, last year, Japan. The US and China are both rushing to put their astronauts on the moon later this decade, each courting allies and giving their private sectors a key role in spacecraft development.

India's first uncrewed moon landing, Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, touched down near the lunar south pole. The region is eyed by major space powers for its potential for resource extraction once humans return to the surface - subsurface water ice could theoretically be converted into rocket fuel.

The Houston-based company's first moon landing attempt almost exactly a year ago, using its Odysseus lander, marked the most successful touchdown attempt at the time by a private company.

But its hard touchdown - due to a faulty laser altimeter used to judge its distance from the ground - broke a lander leg and caused the craft to topple over, dooming many of its onboard experiments.

Austin-based Firefly Aerospace this month celebrated a clean touchdown of its Blue Ghost lander, making the most successful soft landing by a private company to date.

Intuitive Machines, Firefly, Astrobotic Technology and a handful of other companies are building lunar spacecraft under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, an effort to seed development of low-budget spacecraft that can scour the moon's surface before the US sends astronauts there around 2027.