Ghana Engineering Students Association (GESA), KNUST has held a competition between the various departments of the College of Engineering (CoE) dubbed ‘MAKERS’ FAIR.’
The competition which was held at the CoE auditorium brought out innovative and creative ideas of students in the college. This was a way of putting into practice what they had been taught in class in solving the problems of the society.
Seven teams from the various departments were involved in the fair. Curly Q developed a software known as the Magic Map to assist students locate specific places (lecture rooms, halls, offices and others) on campus via their mobile phones. POGEX recycled organic kitchen waste to generate biogas to produce energy (electricity). INGINEX designed a machine called ‘PySpy’ installed in open places to help detect fire outbreaks. CHEMVISION brought out a product, Plastogulf, which helps manage plastics waste by dissolving them rather than burning them to pollute the environment.
DIVINE IDEA came up with a mobile application known as ‘Roomie’ which helps students to select rooms in halls and hostels before school reopens. SMART TEAM, built a machine, Smart Thrash Bin, which automatically separates waste into different components for easy recycling. GAD came up with online application, UnEX, which helps students to access lecturers’ handouts and also serve as an interface between the lecturers and the students. In all, the DIVINE IDEA team that designed the ‘ROOMIE’ software, emerged winners of the competition while their counterparts GAD and POGEX placed second and third respectively.
In an interview, Professor F. W. Y. Momade, one of the judges praised the organizers for creating such a platform to showcase talent and innovation. He advised the students to do away with complacency and work assiduously by conducting research to help promote more innovative ideas.
Precious Eshun Baidoo, president of GESA, added that the idea of organizing the competition was to demonstrate the practical application of what they had been taught in the classroom. He hinted that their major problem in organising the programme was getting sponsorship. He was hopeful that the success of the competition would attract sponsors to support future programmes of the college.
The competition was sponsored by the Technology Consultancy Centre (TCC) and the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID).
