A robot designed by a team of university students to deliver food and medicine to Covid-19 patients during the pandemic has found a new lease of life working in Cambodia’s education sector.

The Nursing Assistant Robot (NAR) was created in July and August last year during the peak of Cambodia’s pandemic to deliver food, bottled water, and medicines to Covid patients 200 to 300 meters away.

However, with the Kingdom’s cases rapidly falling in recent months and Cambodia currently recording zero cases on most days, the unused robot has been repurposed and has been deployed at the National Technical Training Institute (NTTI) .

“We don’t regret it, we congratulate the country for being able to control Covid,” said Chanda Chetra, a senior student majoring in electricity at NTTI, at the annual Technical and Vocational Education and Training Day (TVET Day) at Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich on Wednesday. “This is just a school project.”

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The NAR was put on display at the TVET Day, in Koh Pich June 15, 2022. Kiripost/Penh Chamroeun

The NAR was designed with a smartphone on top and a small machine to measure patients’ heartbeats. It also has three layers capable of delivering two cases of bottled water and food. It is powered by a 24-voltage battery.

“At the time, students wanted to help health workers for Covid patients,” said Chhai Leanghab, a Year 2 electricity student at NTTI. “This is safe and could help do some work.”

The NAR was put on display at the TVET Day. However, its inventors, Chem Sovanmony, Bo Veasna, Ken Ratha and Chor Sophorn, did not attend.

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The students produced two NAR, each costing about $500, Chetra said. He added the invention is capable of traveling at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour and can overcome small road obstacles.

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However, with covid cases dwindling away and the nation embracing the new norm, the robots will now be used in NTTI’s food court. “We can keep students studying and in a food court where they can deliver food to customers,” Chetra said.

Traveling to the event from Kep, 26-year-old Vouch Chhean said he is proud of his electronic fence being displayed at the TVET Day. The fence formed part of a school project before he graduated in 2020 from Don Bosco Technical School Kep.

It is controlled by a smartphone, button and finger scan. “We can also scan car number plates to open or close the fence,” Chhean said. The project was the brainchild of Chhean, Hourn Sela, Thuy Sovannith and Sun Kakada. It took about three months to complete at a cost of about $500.

The fence can be controlled from 30 to 40 meters away and comes with safety measures so if a person, child or car gets close during operation, the fence pulls back. “This fence is safe, it will not hit people,” Chhean said. He added it works in the rain when it can be controlled remotely.

“When it rains, you can close the fence remotely. It’s also safe to not get out of the car to open the fence,” he said.

Vouch Chhean (left) uses a phone to control electronic fence at TVET Day, in Koh Pich June 15, 2022. Kiripost/Penh Chamroeun.

Chhean said since this development, the team has not sought investment in the project or clients to buy the product. He added that he can produce the fence on demand. “If there is an order for the fence, we can do it, even on a large scale,” he said.

TVET Day is part of Cambodia’s digitalization journey. It offers a platform for companies to showcase their latest innovations and for budding young techies to shine.

This year's event highlighted achievements using new innovations and technologies, such as the launch of 150 team drones and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) robots, said Ith Sam Heng, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training.

The government anticipated more than 15,000 participants in the TVET Day.