Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Muscat: A group of young Omani engineers have joined hands to spread love for Science among children visiting the Muscat Festival venue at Amerat Park.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Oman, a Science Lab, designed and built by Omani experts, has provided a platform to introduce various aspects of science to children in an entertaining way. The Science Lab is a collaboration between the Innovation Factory, a research and development company, and the Innovation Group, an event coordinating company, said Firas Khamis Al Mosafir, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Innovation Factory.
“This is the first time that something like this has been organised in Oman. The most distinguished aspect of the exhibition is that it is fully designed and built by Omanis,” Al Mosafir told the Times of Oman. “Everything you see inside is designed from scratch and programmed by Omani inventors at our company,” he said, adding that a group of specialists, including inventors, programmers and mechanical engineers are constantly working on similar projects at the Innovation Factory.
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Multiple sections
According to him, the Science Lab has various sections featuring some of the most important aspects of science and technology, such as astronomy, geology, virtual reality and robotics.
“We have not covered every topic in science, but we have chosen the ones that we think are important for children to understand,” Al Mosafir said. He explained that the Science Lab targets school children from the age of 10 to high school students.
Children are taken in batches of six inside the lab along with a guide and are given an audio device through which they can listen to explanations about each segment in Arabic or in English, he added.
The CEO of the Innovation Factory also noted that all sections of the exhibit are ‘interactive’ and the message of each part is delivered to the children in simplified terms and in a nutshell so as not to bore them. Inside the Science Lab, children are treated to a unique experience, where they learn about the Earth, galaxy, asteroids and meteorites, virtual reality, robots, recycling, air pollution and planet conservation through fun and educational methods and devices.
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Recycling workshop
In the outdoor section of the Science Lab, children can participate in recycling workshops and get to watch science shows designed for children, Al Mosafir said.
He added that a screen would also become available outside the lab for live streaming of the activities taking place inside that will also show some educational videos. According to him, there is also a giveaway for visitors, such as explaining a pot and a message about science written on paper that comes out after water is poured inside it.
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Permanent venue
Al Mosafir believes that it would be a good idea to dedicate a permanent venue for the Science Lab or similar projects.
Many of the sections in this lab are designed in a way that enables them to be modified for permanent use, he noted. The CEO of Innovation Factory said their mission is to inspire children through science and, in particular, the fact that this Science Lab has been built by Omani nationals.
“We want to spread the love of Science in the hope that the next Science Lab will be built by these children,” Al Mosafir said.
