FUOYE Invents Mail Dispatch Mobile Robot

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has invented a mail dispatch mobile robot that would perform skeletal works, and ease as well as smoothen administrative tasks for better productivity in the institution.
The new invention would be officially

launched on December 15 as part of the programmes lined up for the institution convocation slated for December 18.
The dispatch mobile mail robot, according to the university Vice Chancellor, Prof Abayomi Fasina, was invented by a lecturer of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Dr. Oluwaseun Martins.

According to a statement issued yesterday, which was co-signed by FUOYE’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Foluso Ogunmodede, and Special Adviser on Media Matters to the VC, Wole Balogun, Fasina said the mail dispatch mobile robot is a product of PhD programme of Dr. Martin.

Fasina said the invention we supervised by an Associate Professor, Adefemi Adekunle, and the late Prof. Temitope Adejuyigbe.

Describing the functionality and operation of the robot, Martins said: “This mail dispatch mobile robot provides smart mail delivery within a particular environment. Its users are assigned to a particular environment where the robot is designed to operate.

And such environment corresponds to the notes on the robot’s database; this aides it in delivering to its location and destination.

“To initiate the delivery process, the user makes a request by logging into the web application. Upon logging in, the user views the data board which can be used to examine the state of the robot and other vital information.

“The user then heads to the request button and makes his request by clicking on the new request button and proceeds to fill in the subject of the request. He then confirms it.

“Once confirmed, the request will appear on the table of the request page and if it is not at the required mode or it is in a request mode, it will first finish up its request and then heads to the note of the new request in order to be able to pick up. Once it’s at the request mode, the user can click into the dispatch button to be able to give instructions to it and provide the necessary item to be delivered.

“On the dispatch page, the user first unlock the door to put in the mail, then fills in the destination and reference number and clicks on the confirm button. Once this is done, then it begins to move from its current location to the new destination given to it. The robot uses a computer vision, using a camera to recognise colours of its localisation method. Then it is able to recognise the colours of its path and uses that to know where to move to.”

Martin’s said the landmark achievement would showcase the fact that FUOYE, as an enviable Ivory Tower, boasts of many resourceful academics in all fields of human endeavours.

The exhibition would be supervised by Dr. Adefemi Adekunle, an Associate Professor of Mechatronics Engineering, and director of FUOYE’s Directorate of pre-degree programmes.