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THE government should refocus a program that trains skilled workers for work in other countries so that they are more creative.
Rather than be passive operators, skilled workers should learn how to improve electronic or mechanical systems, according to a university professor.
“Instead of exporting products, we are exporting our people to other countries to merely operate machines,” said Dr. Elmer Dadios, De La Salle University professor in a recent visit to Cebu City.
“We should educate people to create new products, that is mechatronics. What we are promoting is that you have the knowledge of developing the product not [just] the knowledge of using the product.”
The application of mechatronics systems is being used in everyday activities more often than people realize, said Dadios.
“Any product or any gadget that has the capability of doing mechanical motions, has electronic components and has [an] intelligence program has mechatronics already. Even the washing machine, a simple electrical appliance,” he said.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the country is still in its infancy, said Central Visayas Regional Director Rene Burt Llanto.
“Much has yet to be done in terms of narrowing the gap between the needs of the industry and the capability to address these needs in terms of human resource development, research and development and public policy,” he said.
“Mechatronics can be seen as the integration of mechanics and electronics. And that robots will not rule the world, but will help mankind live easier, address real problems and enter the realm of what used to be considered impossible.”
Dadios said that the country is “progressing at a slow pace. But right now, even the patent office is active in promoting inventions.”
“At La Salle, we have developed gadgets. It [mechatronics] is really invention, you have to create something, that is the essence of mechatronics,” he said.
“We are comparable [with other countries in terms of developing mechatronics-based products] but our problem is to commercialize products. But for now, we are at the prototyping stage. We develop products purely for research purposes,” he added.
Dadios said DLSU, under a commercialization and development program, has been able to develop educational and entertaining robots.
He said they were able to construct football robots that can be controlled via wireless communication or using just a cellphone three years ago. The university was able to sell the set for P1.1 million.
“Our thrust is to sell so they can develop a system on their own. That is also the thrust of DOST,” he said.
