UAE Ministry of Education adopts a technology invented by FIT Ph.D. student Anas Youssef Boubas (March 1, 2012)

This article was drafted by the Ministry of Education Press Office referring to the invention of FIT Ph.D student Anas Youssef Boubas.

 Ministry of Education announced the use of the audio interactive paper book and the digital pen technologies to be first ministry at the international level in this domain. The announcement came on the sidelines of the International Educational Forum and The Gulf Exhibition for Learning Solutions and Supplies.

 "Improving office and paper works, guaranteeing education of the highest quality and promoting the clientele services are the main goals of adopting these technologie", the UAE Ministry of Education, the first ministry in this field in the Gulf Region, emphasized. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Humaid Mohammad Al Qattami, Minister of Education, and Ali Bujsaim, the Executive Chairman of Alunwan and Bujsaim Group. The two technology inventors Dr. Awad Al Khalaf and Eng. Anas Youssef Boubas and a large number of department directors and officials at the Ministry of Education were among the attendees.

 The interactive paper book technology, which the Ministry is the first to adopt at the world level, is a very unique one. It has been developed in the University of Sharjah and the United Arab Emirates University and registered at the USA Patent Office by Dr. Awad Al Khalaf, from the University of Sharjah and Eng. Anas Yousef Boubas, from the United Arab Emirates University.

It is worth mentioning that this technology won the gold medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva where 765 entities from 45 countries took part in April, 2011. During the exhibition, the UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Zaabi congratulated His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Sharjah; and His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Research for this achievement. H.E. Hassan Salem Al Khayyal, UAE Ambassador to Kuwait also estimated high the appraisal this technology received from the Amir of Kuwait in a later date of the same month, April 2011. H.E. stated that such invention is a significant addition to the achievements of the two universities and it has been a perfect representation of the UAE at the global level.

 This interactive paper book which the Ministry of Education has adopted as part of its appreciated efforts to incorporate the students with special needs of more than 90 schools into the other students- s remarkably distinguishable from the traditional paper book in the sense that it integrates the picture with the sound for a unique learning experience. It also remarkably excels over the electronic book since it retains the unique experience of touching and flipping through the papers while reading.

MoE stressed its interest in this technology which presents great services to the students with special needs such as the blind and others; since it will facilitate their incorporation with normal students. This technology can be applied to all printed books of all types, languages and subjects; therefore, it is a precious invention to the humanity.

 Minister of Education Humaid Al Qatami said: "The UAE leadership has a special interest in the people with special needs. The interactive paper book is a UAE invention and a global achievement that supports incorporating this important part of the society into the UAE community at an early time of age; therefore, we will have a generation brought up invested with noble values, respect of the other and willingness to offer support and help."

 Adoption of such innovative technologies debuted by the national UAE company of Al Unwan, is one of the major bases of the strategy of the Ministry. It promotes the levels of education and internal and external dealings to reach standards that are high and competitive at the international level. It is a prominent contribution to achieving the UAE vision 2021."

 Dr. Awad Al Khalaf, one of the inventors, says, "it is a fact that the paper book is very vital in learning and cannot be replaced by the screen. Therefore, this interactive book has the property of making the text audible. It is easy to use; all what is required is to touch the text one wants to read. This technology does not dispense with the ordinary paper book; it develops it to an audio book.

Eng. Anas Youssef Boubas, the other inventor, explains that this interactive book applies a new technology combining the use of waves within the radio frequency with the technology of touch sensibility through the electrical capacitive projection. In this way, the touch sensibility will include each paper of the book without using expensive materials or making the papers thicker. The book, to a great extent, will be at the same size and thickness, and the cost is low as compared to other technologies.

Both of the inventors of the interactive paper book, Dr. Awad Al Khalaf and Eng. Anas Boubas won several international awards for other inventions. They realized a remarkable achievement for the United Arab Emirates when they won the gold medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva in 2008. According to the organizing committee, that achievement was reputable as it was both the first participation of the UAE in the 36-year old exhibition, and the participation that won the gold medal in that year.

As regards the digital pen, it is an easy-to-use digital pen with no buttons or screens. It records each and every dot or stroke written through a very small camera installed at its end and a positioning system in order to automatically convert the handwritten material to the MoE systems. It creates an electronic version of each document on which handwriting is made, reproducing it in a PDF file automatically without even pressing a button. They will look as if scanned or photocopied; it will be easy to save, email, archive, copy, delete or retrieve the electronic copy according to the need of the MoE. The employees of the MoE, using the digital pen, will write on a copy printed specially for a certain document. The pen automatically saves the handwriting in its memory, and then uploads the recorded writing reproducing an identical copy of the original document.

Using this modern technology, the MoE will save large amounts of paper. Instead of filling and sending hardcopies to the Ministry, an electronic copy will be immediately sent and received by the Ministry within a few seconds. The MoE emphasized that through this technology, it can digitize its paper files and workflows immediately and reduce the costs related to documents and their transfer and archiving. The MoE said that it will be supplied by this technology by Al Unwan company, a Bujsaim Group company, located in Dubai. Al Unwan is the official agent of "Smart Technologies", the sole supplier of the digital pen technologies in the region from Destiny.

The Executive Chairman of Bujsaim Group, Ali Bujsaim said: "The Ministry of Education is very keen to achieving the UAE vision 2021. Supporting such a globally unique technology is a clear evidence of promoting the national innovation at the regional level. This support is the best encouragement for the national qualified people to contribute to the development of the country. This technology helps the MoE expedite processing of transactions, reduces mistakes and improves satisfaction among both the clientele and the employees."

Eng. Anas Youssef Boubas , who graduated from the schools and universities of the United Arab Emirates, is considered one of the key people behind localizing the internationally recognized technology of Digital Pens. This technology is easy to use and is very effective in facilitating transactions. It can be used by anybody who knows how to write with an ordinary pen; there is no training required. The digital pen has the property of sending applications, questionnaires, statements, attachments, etc. through secured Internet connections. It can also attach things like ID copy, personal photo, and other documents, where they will be sent altogether with the filled form to the MoE premises within seconds. The Ministry's employees can then review and check the documents, execute and forward the requests to specialized departments, electronically and very quickly. This technology also has the capacity to incorporate additional data such as: the GPS location of the application, time of filing the application and the Pen ID of the digital pen user.

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