Innovation News (4)
May
The Polytechnic, Ibadan Fabricates Ventilator and Handwashing Machine
Written by Super UserIn response to calls by thegovernment to institutions to riseto the challenge of the COVID-19pandemic, The Polytechnic, Ibadan hascome up with a medical ventilator andan automatic handwashing machinethat could be produced in commercialquantity. These fabrications werepresented to the media by the Rectorof the Institution, Professor KazeemAdekunle Adebiyi recently.The ventilator has been examinedby experts from the University CollegeHospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria’spremier College of Medicine.The institution also fabricated anautomatic hand sanitizing machinewhich has compartments for liquidsoap dispensing, water dispensing andhand dryer, all specific to World HealthOrganisation standard. The ventilatorand handwashing machines werefabricated by the lecturers and studentsof the Mechatronics Engineeringdepartment of the institution. Theinstitution has also produced handsanitizers as well as nose masks forher staff and for other governmentagencies and outfits on request. Theinstitution is well positioned tofabricate a lot of equipment now andto respond swiftly to the fight againstCOVID-19 because the currentadministration in the state has beenvery responsive to requests made bythe institution. Some of the recentlyprocured equipment assisted in thefabrication of the ventilator and theautomatic handwashing machine.
May
Gambia Technical Training Institute Responds to Covid-19: “The Sawer”
Written by Super UserAs the Gambia’s leading publicTechnical and VocationalEducation Institution(TVET),, GTTI was quick to respondto the threat of Covid -19 by producinga hand washing equipment that usesa foot-operated throttle or pedal topump fresh water solution unto a sink.The disinfected water solution thatis being discharged by the foot pedal,thus enables users to wash and wipetheir hands without physical handcontact with a tap head.The user is thus saved the exposure tocovid-19 infection risk that is associatedwith washing hands on standby pipesand tap heads that are used by multipleusers or visitors.
GTTI pioneered thisinnovation during the Ebola crisis of2015. Following advice from publichealth authorities on Covid-19 modeof spread, the Institute demonstratedits quick response capability as its teamof designers made minor modificationsto its original design to suit users of allages.Since its lunch, the institutecontinues to receive orders fromgovernment ministries and parastatals,private sector organisations, NGOs,and households. The productionand marketing team include highlyenergized Design and Engineering andBusiness and Marketing students someof whom work in virtual teams. As TheGambian authorities hailed GTTI’sresponse to the Covi-19 emergency,once again this ability highlightedthe institute’s evolving identity as anAfrican Centre of Excellence.
The Sewer main benefits includethat;
• the equipment’s components are alllocally sourced.
• it is easy to use and adapted to suit thehand washing needs of individualsof ages without assistance
• it is environment friendly as it usesno electricity or batteries or fossilfuels.
• it is adapted for use in anycommunity and in any weathercondition.
For more informationplease visit www.gtti.gm oremail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
May
Federal Polytechnic Nekede Produces Cocoyam Bread
Written by Super UserThe Federal PolytechnicNekede has effectively keyedinto the backward integrationplan of the Federal Governmentof Nigeria with the production ofcocoyam bread. The cheery news wasdisclosed to the smart Rector of theinstitution, Engr. Dr M.C. ArimanwaFNSE, at the viva of the final yearstudents of Hospitality ManagementTechnology, held recently at theDepartmental Block.The Head — Department ofHospitality Management Technology,Mr Ifeanyi Uzomba, who made thisdisclosure also informed the Rectorthat students who did the projectequally undertook the processing ofthe flour from cocoyam, stating thatthe Polytechnic was the first in thehistory of pastry-making in Nigeria toproduce cocoyam bread. In the samespirit, the HOD revealed that thestudents also made bread from cassavaflour, thereby giving priority to localingredients, which would at the sametime improve local agricultural valuechain.Apparently impressed with thedevelopment, the Rector congratulatedthe Department for breaking newgrounds in pastry-making, urgingthem to go a notch higher and improvethe packaging of the bread. The Rectoralso challenged the Department to becreative in keying into the revenuedrive of the institution by contributingits quota through the sale of assortedfood and pastry.Meanwhile, the External Examinerof the Department, Mr. StephenOnyeabor, has praised the Rectorfor building sustainable educationalinfrastructure that is aimed atimproving the academic performanceof the students. The examiner,who stated this at the occasion,also expressed his satisfaction withthe sterling performance of thestudents at the practical defence. Heequally applauded the Rector forimplementing the recommendationshe made the previous year when hecame for external extermination,maintaining that the Polytechnic wasindeed a trail-blazer.It will be recalled that the FederalPolytechnic Nekede, under theinspiring leadership of Engr. M.CArimanwa has recorded significantsuccesses in the areas of inventionand innovation. Just recently, thepolytechnic invented a super furnacethat can melt steel in fifteen minutes,an unprecedented speed that has yetto be matched by any other furnace.The last may not have been heard ofmany other inventions on the pipeline.
May
Young Tanzanian Innovator Harnesses the Sun to Help Community
Written by Super UserGibson Kawago is a 23-year-old tech savvy student of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology who was disappointed by the unavailability of power in his grandmother’s village and designed a solar power equipment to help provide the house with electricity.
His disappointment happened the day he had tried to show his grandmother the footage of his sister’s wedding but could not because he had run out of charge on his battery and there was no electricity in the village. This one incident began to give him ideas on how he could make living in the village better and he designed a solar system charging gadget.
To make the charging system, Gibson said in a statement “I had to find a solar panel and connect it to the diode that links the solar power to the battery charge which henceforth takes electricity to the phones. Diode is like a protector because the phone can hardly catch any glitch even when it gets exposed to negative route”.
Designing this system has provided the village with the power they need for appliances and even after his grandmother had passed on, members of the community still benefit from his device and don’t have to seek power from the neighboring village again.
The Engineer who was raised in the Mafinga District has also designed and created a solar-powered water pump which he had designed to help the farmers in the village deliver water to their household and perform irrigation activities on their farmlands. He is also working on a project which he calls the “Wanted Smart Box” which is a portable bag to be used as a solar powered brightening light in 180 degree.
He sees himself becoming a young multitalented and successful innovator in the next five years with dreams of setting up businesses which will provide employment for people in Tanzania and Africa.
In April 2018, he was awarded for the Nguvu ya Uthubutu Awards in the ICT and Innovations category for his designs after a whole month of voting.
He encourages upcoming innovators to be creative and urges them to not complain about lack of funds but try to use materials which they can source for locally to bring their dreams to life.