An African Invention. A young and gifted artisan by the name of Honesty Godwin from the country of Nigeria in West Africa developed an electric wheelchair equipped with an automated obstacle avoidance system. Godwin says that the wheelchair can be folded up and that its design is meant to help people with disabilities move around without help from a third party.
It has been a burden in my heart seeing disabled people being pushed by another person and over time I have hoped for an opportunity to develop something to aid their movement
Honesty Godwin
The continent of Africa is in a league of its own when it comes to producing talented people. Since ancient times, people in Africa have consistently displayed levels of resourcefulness and ability that defy expectations about what they are capable of. From the construction of the enormous Pyramids of Giza in Egypt to that of the Benin Wall and a great number of other wonders. This information has been passed on to the next generation of smart Africans, who are now making positive changes in many fields.
It is designed with a joystick at the handle that is responsible for controlling the movement and direction of the disabled person; it also has ultrasonic sensors to ensure four-axis obstacle detection and avoidance to avoid potholes and slopes. The joystick is responsible for controlling the movement and direction of the disabled person. It is also possible to fold and unfold the wheelchair with the help of a simple knob located at the rear, which will result in a gross size reduction of around 70%.
The construction of such a gadget demands a significant investment of time, effort, patience, and, most importantly, financial resources. On the other hand, Godwin fashioned his invention out of the components that were at his disposal at the time. Godwin had to construct his wheelchair from scratch by making use of resources and garbage that were found locally because of his enthusiasm for and drive for finding solutions to issues.
Building such a device from scratch is not easy, especially because I had to source everything locally here in Nigeria. But despite the depth of it all, I came out victorious!
Honesty Godwin
The young inventor of robots made a public appeal to some of the largest and most successful business people on the African continent, such as Tony O. Elumelu, to invest in him so that he might do much more than he already has. He also stated that it would be wonderful to have the opportunity to work and partner with Nigeria’s largest automobile manufacturer, Innoson Vehicles, as this would enable him to do mass production of his wheelchair and even improve upon it. He said this would be great because it would allow him to improve upon it.
Also Read: African History: Think Africa Never Knew Its Own Past?
