The formation of an African Robotics Network (AFRON) was announced in April with some ambitious goals.

The idea, still under development, is to create a simple robot with parts costing under $10 dollars that students would use to explore science and engineering topics. The robot would be connected via USB to a computer, and students would use open source software to program the robot’s behavior and share their results.

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…AFRON was inspired by other robotics initiatives such as the European Robotics Network (EURON), but while most networks have concentrated on research activities, AFRON focuses more broadly on education, research, and industry, including efforts aimed at exposing school children to robotics.

Rules have not yet been announced but note the definition:

For the purposes of AFRON, “Robotics” is broadly defined to include related areas such as automation, computer vision, signal processing, machine learning, mobile games, and other related topics.

The Cairo Hackerspace (“Hack like an Egyptian”) is already looking for hackers to join its team in the AFRON $10 Robot Design Challenge.