As Karam Scholars, the students are given the opportunity to dream big and accomplish things they did not have the means to before. Scholars are determined to reach their goals, and in most cases, they do. Yousef Yousef, a 21-year-old scholar, took the determination and the support from those around him to work toward his dream of building a robot. Yousef said, “Building a human robot is a motivator, and even a dream for every enthusiast in the fields of technology and electronics/computer engineering…Projects of this kind are considered an icon for these types of branches, especially specialized ones. Like any tech enthusiast, this was one of my dreams.” 

This project was very challenging for Yousef because he only had simple tools at his disposal, and limited knowledge of the matter given the fact that when he started building this robot, he was only a second year student at Osmania State University. However, the lack of knowledge and materials needed is exactly what makes him more proud of the outcome of this project “Personally, I am satisfied with the result, but it is not what I am aiming for. Rather, it is an experience I had to do to realize my scientific capabilities and the limits of my energy/abilities.” He added. 

Building a robot doesn’t happen overnight, as Yousef mentioned. He said it takes many weeks and spending his own money on some necessary electronic parts to build it. “Of course my family and Karam had the great credit for supporting me financially until I was able to complete the project,” he said. After all this, there is always the risk of project failure. “Are you ready to sacrifice your time for a new experience that may fail? For me, the answer was yes.” 

The first step of building a robot is planning. To Yousef, this was the most exciting part of the project, in addition to sketching the robot with his favorite pencil on a piece of paper that he saved until this day. Knowing that this is his first major project, Yousef wanted to limit losses, so he decided not to use the 3D printer to print the structure of the robot. “A big obstacle for me was the absence of the structure. I had to use wood, cork, nails,and some adhesives to build the structure instead of a 3D printer, and thanks to God and the help of my family, we were able to build a prototype that the project can be presented on and tested all the parts and features that will be programmed later.” 

When asked if he had ever thought about giving up, Yousef said, “Yes, I actually gave up for several days when I reached a closed road.The robot did not work for no apparent reason. But when I remembered my family’s trust in me and the way they take pride in the things I do, my energy was immediately renewed and I was ready to rebuild the robot from scratch.” 

The robot Yousef built has many functions.He can speak three languages — Arabic, Turkish, and English. He can shake hands, switch between several eye gestures, and respond based on the voice commands he hears.He can measure the temperature and announce it, measure the distance between himself and the nearest object and say it, and he can tell a joke whenever asked. 

After completing the robot, Yousef felt the true meaning of the saying “Everything is possible.” “When I told one of my friends about the idea of ​​the project before starting, he told me that it was impossible, especially since I was only in the second year of university at that time. But I was sure that even if I failed, it was an experience that I would learn a lot from, and I was aware that the percentage of the success of the project was minimal.” 

The support Yousef received from his family, his friends, and the Karam House team was the motivation to keep pushing and succeeding throughout this one-of-a-kind project. “I felt grateful at that time because I am surrounded by wonderful people who always stand with me and support me.” As for his future projects, Yousef said he has a lot of executable ideas in his mind, both simple and complex. His next project is going to be his graduation project which consists of belts that are attached to the joints of the body, gloves that are placed on the hand, and some other sensors that  sense the movement of the body. 

The Karam Scholars program is a program dedicated to supporting young adults who are in need of guidance, often with nowhere— or no one— to turn to. The program helps them on their journey to leadership through higher education. The team ensures that these students are empowered with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to make informed decisions about their futures.