The month of March, which ends this Friday (31), marked three years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also the month in which Brazil reached the sad milestone of 700 deaths. The good news was recently released by the World Health Organization, which changed the recommendations for vaccination against the disease. The WHO created a simplified risk classification that dispenses additional doses to healthy adults.
The past three years were marked by the protagonism of science. Still in February 2020, researchers were able to determine the DNA structure of SARS-CoV-2, enabling, for the first time in history, the use of this knowledge to build, in real time, public health responses to a pandemic.
One of these responses was the development, in record time, of safe and very effective vaccines in preventing severe forms of Covid, as knowing the structure of the infectious agent made it possible to investigate the ways in which it acts and produces the disease.
A new development was the use of vaccines that use RNA transport technology, the genetic material of the virus. For professor at the Institute of Biology (IB) at Unicamp Alessandro Faria, who heads the Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, the completion of these vaccines was speeded up because the entire world stopped to focus solely on this subject. Furthermore, there was a level of research funding never seen before.
Unicamp stood out with the creation of a Task Force against Covid-19. The initiative put the university's infrastructure at the service of the fight against the disease (see more details in the video below). Currently, the University continues to carry out around 500 tests per week, although much of it is preventive, as in the case of tests on patients who will undergo transplants.
For infectious disease specialist Raquel Stucchi, one lesson learned from the Covid-19 pandemic was that, today, society is prepared to act more quickly in public health emergencies. On the other hand, she also believes that we have not yet learned to deal with inequalities between nations. “We have acquired a great deal of knowledge about ways to control and prevent the disease, but the distribution of medications and vaccines is still very unequal, favoring rich countries and keeping economically disadvantaged nations at risk. This, unfortunately, the pandemic was unable to change.”
Educart: a tool with multiple functionalities
The resumption of in-person classes at Unicamp in mid-March 2022 was marked by something new. In order to guarantee the distancing of students in the classroom, the University acquired 220 Intelligent Transmission Equipment (ETIs), in a model that was called “twin rooms” at Unicamp. The equipment, called educational robots or Educart, is part of one of the actions adopted by the University within the scope of the Task Force to resume activities during the period in which the pandemic began to lose strength.
ETI devices have the ability to capture and broadcast video and audio in real time, and the recorded content can be shared in different rooms. Initially, the devices would be intended to serve the most numerous rooms, in a system of rotation between teachers, so that, throughout the semester, all students in the class would have classes in the main room where the teacher was.
In this context, it was possible, for example, to guarantee the functioning of classrooms while observing the distance between students recommended by health authorities. The ETIs also made it possible for teachers and students who were forced to isolate themselves to be virtually present.
Due to its versatility, however, the equipment very quickly gained other features. “We managed to do a course on Urbanization, Dynamics of Land Use and Coverage with seven guests. All of them, in different regions of the country”, says professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FCA) at Unicamp Roberto Donato. “Instead of encouraging distance learning, the system will strengthen presence”, believes the professor.
In addition to this example, other possibilities for using Educart have multiplied on campus. The 46th annual meeting of Anpocs (National Association of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences) – one of the largest events in the sector in Brazil –, held at Unicamp in October 2022, was largely supported by educational robots.
The same happened with the 23rd Reading Congress (Cole), held at Unicamp in the second half of February this year. According to professor at the Faculty of Education Carlos Miranda, one of Cole's organizers, the evaluation was positive.
“Yes, we used [the resource] and we have a very positive evaluation about the equipment. In many rooms, the public stayed because of the robots”, he guarantees. “And there was a possibility of opening with the table. It is very interesting that Educart has a camera through which the table can see the audience. That eye contact was the main element for us. Knowing that people are not just inside a virtual room, but that they are being seen, that was more important to us,” he added.
“At some tables there was the possibility of speaking and that was very positive. The evaluation of the components of the tables and conferences was very positive, and there was a very positive response from congressmen”, concluded Miranda.
At the same time, a hybrid attendance system also began to be used in thesis defense committees, symposiums or events.
Use in administrative areas
The use of educational robots also ended up being used in the administrative areas of the University. The Auction Center of the General Directorate of Administration (DGA) announced, for example, that it plans to use Educart robots in some bidding situations governed by Tender Law 14.133/21. According to the agency, the equipment will be used in situations where audio and video recording is necessary.
The School of Corporate Education (Educorp) has already assimilated the new tool. The supervisor of the educational support area, Carlos Alberto Dias, says that the school has one device and has ordered two more. According to him, the device is used in various situations, from events in auditoriums to recording classes. Dias states that Educorp even created the “Collegiate Secretariat” course, which teaches people how to use the equipment.
The Collaborative Actions Mediation Chamber informs that it is close to starting use of the equipment. According to the agency, mediators are just waiting for training so that the tool can be used. The Chamber's mission is to stimulate dialogue to resolve conflicts and promote a culture of peace at the University.
“In practice, the Educart robots were completely integrated into the life of the University”, assesses professor Roberto Donato. “In a short time, the potential of the equipment brought new perspectives of use. And that is what is happening at the University today”, reinforced the office assistant of the General Coordinator of the University, Ana Paula Montagner.
The tool
Professor at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering Matheus Souza, who is part of the Educational Technologies Management Group (GGTE), says that the tool fulfilled all the purposes for which it was acquired.
This equipment allows high-quality sound and image transmissions, is versatile, as it can be taken from one place to another with ease, and has proven to be useful even after the most critical moment of the pandemic has passed.
Educart is a three-component piece. What the professor calls a car – a mobile mechanical-electrical structure – to which a monitor and a 4k camera (images with a resolution of 4 pixels wide) are attached, which transmits in full HD.
This camera is something that is recommended for capturing images in large spaces, but it is a device that can reproduce movements such as those recorded in close-up, and more.
Above the camera is a set of directional microphones that have the ability to identify sound sources. Combining the properties of capturing sounds and images with artificial intelligence systems, the cameras are able to automatically focus on a certain image.
In a short space of time, the device captures the image of the face of the person speaking, for example. And this functionality is essential in a conference or class, where there is interaction between speakers and the audience. Furthermore, the device can focus on images or messages that a teacher can eventually write on the board.
“When I do an evaluation, I conclude that it is a very good tool. The fear we had at the beginning was that Educart could be left unused after the pandemic. But this has definitely not been confirmed”, concludes the professor.
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