Mounting accommodation challenges at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology campus are bringing out student ingenuity.
Four second-year and a third year student of the university have developed an application to facilitate room selection at hostels in and around the university catchment area.
The technology allows individuals to check facility suitability and even effect payment on their mobile phones and computers.
Leader of the group, Kwadwo Agyapong-Ntrah says he and his colleagues are fine-tuning the technology for global patronage.
“Getting hostels to stay in for this semester was very difficult so that motivated us to embark on this project. Because of this project, we had to learn how to use the html and coding,” he stated.
The technology called “Roomie” also assists users to enter the room in a chosen hostel or hotel without visiting the premises.
Kwadwo Agyapong-Ntrah is optimistic the technology will promote the tourism and hospitality industry.
The innovative initiative came first at the annual Ghana Engineering Students Association Exhibition dubbed, ‘Makers Faire 2.0’ competition.
The fair offers a platform for students to exhibit their engineering creativity and ingenuity in solving industrial and environment problems in society.
Officials of the fair say the key objective is to encourage innovative teams in design process, technology development and establishment of ventures for job creation.
It was part of seven other exhibiting groups who showcased their technologies.
These include a smart thrash bin to separate and recycle waste products, a smoke detection gadget to fight fire outbreaks in markets, a portable biogas system that transforms waste into energy and an application to facilitate room selection.
Selected projects in the competition attempts to solve some problems faced by the country.
President of the association, Precious Eshun Baidoo, is unhappy about low corporate support for technology exhibition.
“It is capacity building and a form of repositioning students from the classroom perspective to think-outside-the-box, create and use”, the very optimistic young leader believes it is not just an exhibition.
For him, student engineers have the capacity but needs the push, “We are not going to rub shoulders. We are ready to fight and will take the lead. This is how Twitter, Facebook and other international applications started.
Provost of the Engineering College, Professor Ing. Dr. Samuel Innocent Ampadu believes the ingenuity is typical of the college’s capabilities but could do more if they get the needed resources.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and International Development Innovation Network are among sponsors of the projects.
