A group of second-year Biomedical Engineering students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology have built a mosquito repelling device.
The group; Joana Owusu-Appiah, Selinam Fiadjo and Daniella Asare call the device ‘Anquito’.
This was carved from ‘anti’ and ‘mosquito’ hence the name.
Speaking about their initiative, they said, “We realized there are so many measures to kill mosquitoes but we thought to ourselves, is it a problem of mosquitoes living or the fact that they’re in our space?”
“Somebody is in his room with mosquito net and coil but when there is light out, he goes out for fresh air and gets bitten.”
“What can we do for people who are outside their rooms and want to get fresh air, ” were some questions they kept asking themselves.
These questions led to the birth of the robot that emits ultrasonic sounds at 38 kilohertz, which is said to ward off mosquitoes.
Ultrasound technology is used in different fields, including detecting objects, medical imaging and measuring distance.
It is equipped with sensors which stop and change direction after encountering an obstacle.
According to the students, they are working to create miniatures of the machine as well as use artificial intelligence to make it smarter.
ZuvielNaazie/techvoiceafrica.com
