Ruppin Academic Center

Robotics

Dr. Rina Zviel Girshin, Head of the Knowledge Engineering and Robotics Lab with a student presenting a robotics project.

Efi Bergman, Labs Senior Engineer with a Junior College student

Dr Mec the robot teacher - OKbot used as teaching assistant in the Physics Lab.

CARbot a driverless car OKbot.

A group of students constructing robots using the Lego platform.

Basic OKbot - one of a population of bots in the OK ecology used as real time test biosphere for various algorithms and technologies

The Organic Knowledge (OK) approach to robotics sees robot as different from other computerized systems in the robot being smarter, more involved, and more human-like. The OKbot has human expertise, sensors, actuators, more interactive with environment and especially with humans, and mechanisms for proactive learning and evolving. One of the more important aspects of the Knowledge Engineering and Robotics Lab is variety of projects and especially comparative research of different robot platforms and hardware. Some are just development over preexisting platforms, some are more basic improvements and some are totally self designed and self manufactured.

The various platforms span a wide range from Lego Mindstorm to Arduino. The projects include such different areas of robotics research and development as:

• OK robotics in the classroom
• OK autonomous car
• OK for special needs
• OK marine robot
• OK smart whiteboard
• OK recycling robot
• OK for students with ADHD
• OKbot population in an ecology

STEM Education and Education Technology

One of the research areas of the lab is STEM education. We create new approaches to science and technology education. From using industrial robots to teach CS in a very early age, teaching robotics in kindergartens and primary school to creating special programs and approaches for gifted children (junior college), or another group with special needs, ADHD children.

Different educational games, programs and systems were developed using Organic Approach. Wide range of ICT tools are used to create a specially tailored environment for each student.

Among many research projects are:

• crowdsourcing Educational Technology
• pre-K and pre-schoolers Educational Technology
• Educational Technology for study of English as Second Language
• Educational Technology and Robotics
• Educational Technology for STEM from pre-K to University
• Educational Technology in academia

RoboSphere

First working MARINEbot 1.01

As is BioSphere, RoboSphere is an ecology, a whole system including populations of different and numerous OKbots. It can be used as an experiment by itself - to extrapolate and predict the future in which vast populations of robots will inhabit the planet. It is also very useful as a unique test field for different algorithms and technologies, especially nature-inspired ones.

To this aim researchers in the lab designed a proprietary OKbot which is totally self manufactured and therefore has such advantages as very low price, extreme flexibility and excellent scaling and evolving opportunities.

MARINEbot

The Marine Robotics Lab applies the organic paradigm to marine robotics. It is inspired by two champion swimmers researchers in Ruppin (of whom the Head of the Lab, Rina Zviel Girshin, is one). It is greatly assisted by the School of Marine Sciences of the Ruppin Academic Center.

Immigrants Education

Unique extremely successful program created a digital playground for new immigrants. Organic Knowledge driven semester long program teaches Introduction to Engineering and Robotics.

Pre-K to Uni Robotics Literacy Programs

Children from the age of 3 to undergraduates get especially challenging and joyful introduction to the robotics age.

The program is well established now in Israel and in China.

Digital Tourist 2.0

The virtual ambient smart proactive environment will guide the tourist wherever he goes through an app on his mobile phone.

TOURISM 2.0 digital mobile environment will provide great benefits for the hosting country:

· Economic

· Cultural

· Political

· Social

· Ethical

· Educational

· Contribution to welfare and cooperation

The following technologies and concepts are relevant to the T2 environment:

· Artificial intelligence

· Augmented reality

· Positioning (GPS and other location services)

· Mobile applications

· Web 2.0

· Gamification

· Crowdsourcing

· Multimedia

· Data networks

· Input/output networks (like cameras or other IOT devices)

First mobile app using OK T2 technology is developed with Open University of Cyprus researchers Loizos Michael and Christos Rodosthenous.

History

The School of Marine Sciences at the Ruppin Academic Center was founded in 1997 and originally known as the Marine College of Israel. It operated under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and its alumni received an undergraduate degree from Hebrew University until 2001. The college was established by: Emek Hefer Regional Council Head Rani Idan; former vice president of the Technion, Prof. Danny Wolf, of blessed memory; Prof. Micha Spira of Hebrew University; and Daphna Pergament, who headed its administration until 2007. A nonprofit organization operated alongside the college to raise funds for it and guide it toward its goals. The organization’s members were experts in various aspects of oceanography hailing from industry, academia, and the military.

In 2003, the college became the third school of the Ruppin Academic Center, joining what were then the School of Social Sciences and Management and the School of Engineering. At that point, its name changed to the School of Marine Sciences and it became an integral part of this public college approved by the Israeli Council for Higher Education’s (CHE) and budgeted by the Planning and Budget Committee subsidizes (PBC). The School of Marine Sciences at the Ruppin Academic Center is the only institution in Israel that grants a BSc in marine sciences.

School of Marine Sciences at Mikhmoret

The school offers two undergraduate programs with CHE accreditation:

• BSc in Marine Sciences and Marine Environment
• BSc in Marine Biotechnology

The school also offers two graduate programs with CHE accreditation:

• MSc in Marine Sciences
• MA in Marine Resource Management

In addition to its educational and research activities, the School of Marine Sciences strives to promote awareness throughout Israeli society regarding the Mediterranean Sea’s importance and impact on the wellbeing of those residing on its shores as well as its role as a source of food, an economic resource, the main trade route for imports and exports, an asset with research and diplomatic potential, a nature reserve, and a major recreational site for residents and tourists.

The importance of the Mediterranean Sea to the State of Israel led to the establishment of the Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel (MERCI) at the School of Marine Sciences campus at Mikhmoret in cooperation with Tel Aviv University, the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Volcani Center, and senior researchers from the life sciences institutes at the Hebrew University and the Technion, among others.

This study and research center focuses on the economic and environmental national resources in the Mediterranean Sea that can be tapped for marine agriculture, marine biotechnology, desalination, and energy production. In addition, the center addresses preservation of the sea and coastal strip in order to prevent future harm and correct damages that human activity has caused to the Mediterranean Sea and its surroundings.

The Ruppin Academic Center’s Mikhmoret campus is located at the shores of a private marina and offers students an extraordinary and enriching academic experience while they pursue marine studies. Alongside the theoretical academic studies, the school’s programs incorporate courses in diving and seamanship (practice and theory), which are vital to marine studies and research.

The School of Marine Sciences’ Permanent Campus

School of Marine Sciences’ permanent campus main building will be open to the sea and make the most of the climate and natural landscape of the surrounding area while integrating into this seaside landscape.

The campus has convenient access to natural sites relevant to the study of marine sciences, such as the Mikhmoret sea shores, the Nahal Alexander River, and of course, the Mediterranean Sea. The spectacular campus, the only one of its kind in the entire Mediterranean basin, will serve as a magnet for researchers, lecturers, students, and visitors from Israel and around the world who are interested in delving into the rapidly developing field of marine research. The campus will have a series of two-story buildings that house dry labs, seawater labs, a library, classrooms, a conference and lecture hall, and administrative facilities. During the first stage, two buildings will be constructed for teaching and research labs as well as offices. In the future, MERCI will be located in these buildings as well.