Robotics Innovation in Kenya as an Opportunity for Industrial Growth: Challenges and Prospects for TVET Institutions and Universities

Abstract

Advances in science and technology in the world today have led to major innovations to overcome the challenges experienced by various economies in the quest for economic growth and development. Several countries have embarked on multibillion projects and educational programs in order to equip their citizens with relevant skills to enhance development. The field of robotics has commanded a lot of attention in the current decade and is considered one of the breakthroughs that is currently revolutionizing the world. Many tasks that were performed by human beings before are now performed by autonomous mechanical machines controlled by programs embedded in small microchips. In Kenya, the field of robotics has currently drawn a lot of interest since the inception of robotic competitions in 2010 among TVET institutions and universities at regional and national level. Students under the guidance of lecturers have always embarked on the design of autonomous robots to meet set out design standards and guidelines in order to execute designated tasks during competition. Being a new area of innovation, institutions and design teams have been faced with major challenges in this endeavor. This paper reviews challenges experienced by TVET institutions and design teams and gives insights and recommendations on how to curb this challenges.