NYUAD showcases cutting-edge innovations - all made in the Emirates
23 May 2025 00:45
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) showcased a suite of homegrown innovations at Make it in the Emirates in Abu Dhabi, including brain-controlled prosthetics, one-of-a-kind UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), and sustainable building materials.
Mind-Controlled Prosthetics for Neurodegenerative ConditionsSpeaking with Aletihad, Abdul Basit, a research engineer at NYUAD, explained how a brain-controlled prosthetic arm developed at the university's eBRAIN Lab works.
Using EEG (electroencephalogram) signals collected through electrodes placed on the scalp, the team is developing AI-driven systems that interpret brain activity and translate it into precise movements in a robotic arm.
"This technology is primarily aimed at patients suffering from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and MS (Multiple Sclerosis), paralysis or other neurodegenerative conditions for whom traditional EMG-based systems are not viable," Basit said. "We're also integrating gaze-tracking to make the interface more intuitive – allowing users to simply look at an object and think about an action to initiate it."The project is currently in the research and development phase. Basit noted that the team is currently working on optimising signal interpretation, reducing hardware complexity, and enabling real-time performance on edge devices.He added that the eBRAIN Lab is also developing AI-based MRI analysis for detecting MS lesions and brain tumours, which leverages multi-modal large language models to assist radiologists with diagnostic recommendations.
Omni-Directional Drones and Humanoid Telepresence Robots At the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Postdoctoral Associate Mahmoud Hamandi and his team developed the OmniOcta UAV – the world's first fully functional battery-powered omnidirectional drone using only fixed, unidirectional thrusters. Unlike traditional drones that tilt to manoeuvre, the OmniOcta can hover, rotate and fly at extreme angles, such as a 90° roll, thanks to its eight precisely angled thrusters calculated via a custom optimisation algorithm."This makes it ideal for inspection in confined spaces, as well as for physical interaction tasks like pushing objects or even unscrewing a lightbulb," Hamandi explained. "It's also entirely self-contained and robust, requiring no external power or mechanical tilting."
Sustainable Construction Material From NYUAD's Advanced Materials and Building Efficiency Research Laboratory (AMBER Lab), research scientist Inderjeet Singh presented two game-changing sustainable construction materials. This includes SaltCrete, a magnesium-based cement developed at the AMBER Lab using reject brine from desalination and calcium carbide slag. This process not only reuses industrial waste but also captures carbon dioxide during curing, making it a potential carbon sink, according to Singh.The other material is Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3), which combines calcined clay and limestone to reduce emissions by 40% compared to traditional cement.
"SaltCrete reduces emissions by around 50% and supports waste valorisation, while LC3 is currently being tested in marine environments to build eco-friendly sea walls that preserve biodiversity," Singh said.
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