Losses related to ATM, credit, and debit cards have collectively cost the world more than $28 billion. Criminals use methods such as card skimming to steal card numbers and pin codes or transaction reversal fraud to remove cash from payment terminals. This highlights the need for more sophisticated ID verification tech at ATMs.

At the first Innovative Projects Exhibition in the city, students in Abu Dhabi demonstrated fingerprint scanners for better authentication, among other innovations. At the event hosted by the Abu Dhabi Municipality, the UAE University, Institute of Applied Technology, and Fab Lab, students also showcased motion sensors that can detect fires. The municipality’s director-general, Saif Badr Al Qubaisi said that the exhibition would identify tech innovations that can enhance public services.

In addition to fire safety and secure ATM transactions, students unveiled tech for sustainability, including a system to measure the environmental impact of residential neighborhoods. Apart from technology to create products from recycled polythene, a solar fruit monitoring solution that uses computer vision is also on display. Six projects by the Institute of Applied Tech students include a thunderbolt bracelet and a scanner for terms and conditions.

Fab Lab’s team has introduced automatic drilling rigs powered by computer numerical control (CNC), which uses data from a microcomputer. They also created robots to deliver meals and workshops on 3D printing and programming Arduino, a platform for creating interactive devices. The students joined young innovators across the region who have recently created tech, including AI, to prevent cheating in online tests and a device measuring sodium levels from sweat.