NSTDA participates in the National Science and Technology Fair 2018, hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology. With the grand opening taking place on 16 August 2018, the fair is packed with displays of innovations as well as fun activities, aiming to inspire kids to have interest in science and understand the practical application of science.
Here are some highlights from NSTDA at the fair:
Power ball corner. MTEC-NSTDA has developed a prototype of high-energy food for military activities. This food was designed to be light weight in order to reduce the transport burden of ready-to-eat meals. The high-energy “power bar” contains carbohydrate (rice crispy), protein (soy bean, Chinese sausage), fat (vegetable oil, sesame seed) and binding agent (starch, sugar). In this power ball corner, kids will be able to make their own high-energy and tasty snacks.
MuseumPool. MuseumPool is an application to improve the experience of museum visitors in Thailand. The mobile application contains information of museums (location, how to get there and highlights in the museum). Once visitors arrive at the museum, more information such as floor plan and display items can be obtained via QR code.
National Biobank. National Biobank is a new infrastructure initiated by NSTDA for preserving biological resources which include plants, seeds and microbe for use in research. National Biobank is linked to Digital Biobank which comprises digital cell bank, digital seed bank, digital gene bank, human genome. In this corner, kids will participate in a fun activity to identify organisms from the nature and learn of their utilizations and benefits.
Railway activity. Kids will get to assemble wooden trains and learn about railway transportation.
Fabrication Lab. Equipment and prototypes constructed in the Fabrication Lab are on display.
KidBright Workshop. KidBright is a digital board and a software programming tool developed by NECTEC-NSTDA to support Thai children to learn about computer programming and acquire the skills. With KidBright, kids can design simple computer programs on their smartphone application to perform tasks, such as turning on lights or operate home appliances. The workshop at this fair is open for children to practice coding with KidBright.
There are over 100 agencies from Thailand and ten other countries participating in this fair. The National Science and Technology Fair 2018 opens to visitors daily from 16-26 August 2018 at IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok.