TIG Post

Tag: University of Mines and Technology

  • UMaT invents smart wheelchair for disabled individuals

    UMaT invents smart wheelchair for disabled individuals

    The three students from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) have developed an Electronic Powered Smart Wheelchair designed for individuals with mobility disabilities.

    This innovative wheelchair can be utilized by healthcare facilities as well.

    Unveiled at the 7th UMaT Innovation Competition and Career Fair in Tarkwa, the Electronic Powered Smart Wheelchair for Disabled comes equipped with three optional controllers.

    The creators of this remarkable invention were declared the overall winners of the competition, which commenced with 23 entries of innovative projects from both the Essikado and Tarkwa campuses of UMaT.

    “The objective of our project was to create a system that will facilitate the conversion of a manually operated wheelchair into an electrically operated one. We did this to help mobility-impaired people to move around freely without the help of anyone, thereby creating independence among mobility-impaired persons in the community. So our wheelchair comes with three-controller options, thus the remote control, the joystick control and the smartphone application. It also comes with two-side mirrors which will help the person in the wheelchair to be able to stretch himself around without having to look back to see what is behind. It also has storage to store few things and a sensor which is still under development“, she said.

    Miss Acheampong, from UMaT’s Electrical Engineering Department, mentioned that they are working on incorporating a solar shed onto the Electronic Powered Smart Wheelchair. This addition would offer shade and an electronic power source, making the wheelchair more cost-effective than the imported ones available in the Ghanaian market.

    UMaT’s Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof Anthony Simons, commended the scalable nature of the students’ innovations, expressing confidence in their potential to become commercial products.

    “The main thing I’m taking away from this innovation fair is that our students are thinking by applying the theories they’ve learned to solve problems. This aligns with STEM education, which teaches students to apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Although the products are not yet finished, we need to mentor and encourage the students to develop them into usable products. I also observed that some of the students seem to have merged too many ideas into one project, and we need to help them separate them,” he said.

    David Ofori, the Director of Innovations at the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, praised UMaT for their showcased innovations. He encouraged the students not to solely pursue employment but to recognize their potential in creating their own jobs. He assured the students that his office has schemes in place to support such innovative endeavors.

    “NEIP has a mandate as the foremost agency to instigate, nurture and support entrepreneurship, innovation and startupism across the country. In our world today where we battle issues such as poverty, climate change, unemployment, disruptive technologies, increasing desire from citizens to be in control of their time, etc, it is important to create the enabling environment for entrepreneurship, startups and solving problems through innovation. These can be achieved through collaboration efforts of both government and private sector using the tripod of Ecosystem Support Organisations (ESOs), Academia and Industry,” he emphasized.

    The top three winners of the 7th UMaT Innovation Competition will receive support from the UMaT Incubation Hub, along with other forms of assistance.

  • Sustaining mining industry involves all stakeholders – Abu Jinapor

    Samuel Abu Jinapor, the minister for lands and natural resources, has urged stakeholders in the mining sector to work together to make the sector sustainable as the government tries to make the nation the mining capital of Africa.

    The mining industry is under examination, particularly in light of the massive increase of illicit mining operations, or “galamsey,” which are destroying and damaging the nation’s natural resources like waterways and forest reserves.

    The industry may fail if this threat is not effectively controlled because the “galamseyers” are ruining waterways and forest reserves.

    In an effort to clamp down on their activities, government has put up several interventions like speed-boats and guards to prohibit illegal miners from the areas.

    The minister, speaking at the Ghana Chamber of Mines fifth National Conference for Human Resource Personnel and Executives in the Mining Industry, held at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region under the theme ‘Transforming People Management for a Sustainable Mining Industry in Ghana’, said collective efforts from industry and other stakeholders is the way to go.

    “The mining industry’s sustainability in Ghana and making Ghana the mining hub of Africa does not lie in just training people, but building local capacity to respond to the mining needs of the entire continent,” he stressed.

    Mr. Jinapor further called on the participants to develop capacities of local people in the sector in order to make the most of them.

    “Backed by Legislative Instrument (L.I 2431), the localisation programme aims to develop Ghanaian human capital in the mining industry value chain through education, skills-transfer and expertise development.

    “Additionally, the law seeks to bolster transfer of technology and know-how, and research and development programmes in the Ghanaian mining sector.

    “Ghana’s move to embark on human capital development in the sector is underpinned by government’s quest to make Ghana a mining hub where all mining and other related activities in Africa will be centered – hence enactment of the L.I 2431, which aims to enhance human capital development in the sector to bring this long-term dream to fruition,” he added.

    For his part, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the GCM, Sulemanu Koney, noted that in their quest to develop human capital in the sector, the Chamber has given a research grant of about US$83,538 to six faculty members and five post-graduate students at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to conduct research in the mining industry; adding that this is the second tranche of support to the university, amounting to an about-GH₵1.3million grant for research.

    According to him, the mining industry can be more productive and sustainable with the research, attraction and retention of the right talent and skills, and pledged to continue supporting academia through the Chamber’s Tertiary Education Fund (TEF) to develop the right talent and skills for the industry.

    The Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, Dr. Eric Asubonteng, called for a paradigm shift in the mode of operations from the human resource perspective by strengthening the employer value chain, which he said can only be achieved with a radical rethink of the sector’s approach in attracting, retaining and nurturing talents.

  • Coronavirus: University of Mines and Technology uses questionnaires to ‘test’ for virus

    Students from the University of Mines and Technology are claiming that the university is using questionnaires to test for Coronavirus.

    A photo shared by one student of the university indicated that she had been given a COVID-19 clearance form after filling out the questionnaire.

    Some of the questions on the said questionnaire were as follows: “Do you have a headache? Sore throat? General body weakness? Fever? Are you: Coughing? Sneezing? Have you come into contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?

    The questionnaire also asked about the travel history of students.

    Based on the answers provided, a COVID-19 clearance form may then be issued.

    This comes as some final year students have been allowed to return to campus to complete their final semester.

     

    Source: kuulpeeps.com