“Criar a Sociedade do Futuro” was the challenge set to more than a hundred high school students who chose INESC TEC to gain first-hand insight into the world of engineering, as part of an initiative that also encouraged them to reflect on their own futures.
Between 24 and 26 March, INESC TEC took part in the Semana Profissão: Engenharia, an annual initiative organised by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), aimed at informing high school students, teachers and psychologists about different career paths in engineering. Through a range of guided visits, participants were able to explore laboratories, technologies and innovations, alongside researchers who shared what a typical day in the life of an engineer can look like.
“Robótica: da investigação à indústria e agro-floresta” was the theme presented by INESC TEC researchers in the field of Industrial Robotics. The session highlighted how engineering connects with science in the design and programming of robotic systems, combining areas like electronics, mechanics, programming, navigation and AI, among many others.
Widely used in industry and services, Robotics is also applied in areas like education, medicine and the ocean. The session entitled “A robótica e a presença sustentável no mar” demonstrated how the ocean is a powerful source of resources for a sustainable future. Students were introduced to new autonomous marine robotics technologies, their purpose, and their current real-world applications.
In Telecommunications, INESC TEC showcased how engineers teach machines to see, interpret images and recognise objects. In the activity “Visão por computador – como ensinamos as máquinas a ver?”, researchers explored the principles of computer vision and, through practical experiments, used image processing techniques and artificial intelligence to train machines to identify visual patterns.
Within the field of Power & Energy Systems, the session “Energias Renováveis, Veículos Elétricos e Eficiência Energética” highlighted the importance of efficient energy management in minimising environmental impact and reducing costs. INESC TEC researchers explained ways to better understand how to use energy at home and how to control different electrical devices in a simple, optimised and automated manner.
Coming from schools across the districts of Porto, Braga, Viseu, Aveiro and Vila Nova de Gaia, the 110 students had direct contact with researchers through these activities, explored laboratories and technologies, and discovered the many paths that a degree in engineering can offer.
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