A Ghana based tech community, Internet of Things (IoT) Network Hub has been acknowledged by Forbes as one of the 100 Innovations, Inventions & Icons from Africa in 2020.
The company’s umbrella term ‘HACK CoronaV’, which consisted three different inventions was number 11 out of the 30 inventions featured in the 100th annual issue of the report.
CEO of the West-African IoT Network Hub, Joshua Opoku Agyemang Otoo took up the challenge to create innovations in the wake of the deadly Covid-19 virus which is plaguing his homeland Ghana. These were intended to reduce the spread of the virus.
Each creation was distinct and served a separate purpose.
First is the touchless washing bucket that works through a foot mechanism.
Agyemang explained in an interview with Forbes that “What we noticed about public washing buckets that came with taps attached is that you had to use your hands to open the tap and when you finished, you would have to close it yourself. So this could also be a medium for the virus to spread, and this inspired the creation of the touchless washing bucket”.
The company also manufactured a reusable face mask using 3D-printing and from locally sourced materials.
The final invention is an artificial intelligence home system that allows users to control appliances from their mobile phones.
“The system we came up with helps you control your lighting system and switches, especially in public spaces to avoid these devices more than is needed, so we have created an app,” he stated.
The CEO further revealed that inspiration for these new creation was sourced from the community “and the need to protect the people around us“.
About IoT Network Hub
IoT Network Hub is an internet of things community in Ghana at the Ghana-Indian Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE).
The community was founded in 2016 by two alumni from AITI-KACE.
IoT Network Hub is the largest and fastest growing tech community in West Africa with over 1600 members, it’s a community of tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, businessmen and women, investors, marketers etc. teaming together to solve problems and challenges in Ghana and Africa using emerging technologies by sharing ideas, combining skills, assisting members with their projects, training upcoming tech enthusiasts and many more.
Since it was started, the community has focused on capacity building and creating awareness, a move that has been very successful so far.
The hub intends to focus more on brainstorming, problems solving, coming up with innovative solutions or ideas to address sustainable development goals and building them into start-ups.
Their vision is to become the knowledge hub of emerging technologies in Africa.