Meet Ant and Tech - SRC’s New Robotic Double Act

Image Name: Robot Name Competition Winner (1)
Caption: Robot naming competition winner Ciara O’Neill. Ciara has provided SRC’s robots
with the names, ‘Ant’ and ‘Tech’.
Pictured (L-R): Ciara O’Neill — Image Name: Robot Name Competition Winner (1) Caption: Robot naming competition winner Ciara O’Neill. Ciara has provided SRC’s robots with the names, ‘Ant’ and ‘Tech’. Pictured (L-R): Ciara O’Neill | Supplied

placeholder image — Image Name: Robot Name Competition Winner (1) Caption: Robot naming competition winner Ciara O’Neill. Ciara has provided SRC’s robots with the names, ‘Ant’ and ‘Tech’. Pictured (L-R): Ciara O’Neill | Supplied

Ciara O'Neill from Banbridge won the robot naming contest with her suggestion of 'Ant' and 'Tech' for SRC's new robotic double act, inspired by the TV presenters Ant and Dec.

From a mix of movie related names, puns on computer terms, Southern Regional College’s (SRC) robots, a Unitree G1 and Unitree G1 Educational (EDU) model have finally received their names.

Following a month-long competition to provide the duo with names, they have now been revealed as ‘Ant’ and ‘Tech’. While well-known TV presenters Ant and Dec initially spring to mind as inspiration the name choices, they would be right!

Defying the odds of movie inspired and clever computer name submissions, the panel of judges settled upon Ant and Tech enjoying the phonetic play on words. By keeping Ant and swapping Dec for Tech (technology), the names make the perfect choice for the robotic duo.

As Stephen Herron, Curriculum Area Manager for Computing at Southern Regional College explains;

“Ant and Tech were chosen to give SRC’s humanoid robots distinctive, memorable and approachable identities. The names reflect our to make advanced robotics and artificial intelligence more accessible and engaging, inspiring students to explore, experiment and develop the skills needed for a rapidly changing technological world.”

Now names have been settled upon, which robot claims which name? If keeping the play on words alive, Ant becomes the name for the introductory Unitree G1 model, with Tech becoming the name for the educational Unitree G1 model, due to its advanced settings. However, that is one contest the SRC judging panel don’t want to judge upon, for risk of offending the real Ant and Dec!

Winning the robot naming contest was Ciara O’Neill from Banbridge who pipped husband Glenn to become the winning submission. In her reasoning for choosing the names, Ciara revealed that it was the real Ant and Dec behind her inspiration for the robots’ names, giving SRC’s newest double act names that are sure to get people talking.