AI Smart Bin, an environmentally friendly invention has won the overall best project at the 2024 Opportunity and Risk Management Institute (ORMI) Volta STEM Fair.
This year’s Fair, the third edition of the ORMI Volta Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical Fair (ORMI Volta STEM Fair) held from Friday to Saturday (5th – 6th July,2024), was hosted by St. Pauls Senior High School, SPACO in Denu in the Volta Region of Ghana. It was under the theme ‘Developing Future Engineers Today’.
The Headmaster of SPACO, Mr. Hope Dogodzi who welcomed all to his school for the event, urged the Government to commit AI (Artificial Intelligence) into the school curriculum.
Video: Other excerpts by the media
“The best engineers are those who think outside the box, approach problems from multiple angles and develop groundbreaking solutions. You will have the opportunity to engage in innovative projects, participate in competitions and collaborate in research initiatives – all of which are integral to developing a creative and engineering mindset. Engineering is a discipline that requires practical skills and experience. We provide access to a state-of-the-arts laboratory… through internships, industrial visits and mentorship programmes, you will gain valuable exposure to the engineering profession, learning from experienced professionals and understanding the demands of the industry. One of the most exciting fields in engineering today is artificial intelligence. AI is transforming industries and creating new possibilities in technology. Therefore, we suggest that the Government commits to integrating AI and other emerging technologies into the curriculum by including subjects like machine learning, robotics and data science. Our students will be better prepared to engage with and develop intelligence system that can solve complex problems and improve our quality of life.”
The ORMI Volta STEM Fair is a CSR of ORMI Ghana and opened to all junior and senior high schools in the Volta Region yearly. While 18 schools out of the 22 schools which showed interest participated, in all, 80 student inventors participated under the supervision of 22 Science facilitators and external judges.
The winning project of this year’s event was the AI Smart Bin. A research project of Our Lady of Apostles’ S.H.S. (OLA Girls) Ho. The AI Smart Bin is an advanced version of the usual dustbin with compartments which sorts out metal, glass and plastic for recycling into other products. In addition, the smart bin has a reward system for those who make the efforts to recycle and keep a clean environment free from all sorts of waste.
The student inventors of this project explained the project as follows:
“Our project started from the drainage system where waste is segregated from the flood water and recycled through the AI Smart Bin. It is meant to sort out plastic, glass, metals and can then be recycled to make other products. One last feature of the AI Smart Bin is the RVM System which is the Reversed Vending Machine. This is where the Bin will reward people for recycling and that serves as a motivation for recycling.”
Speaking further offstage to ORMI Communications, Khalid Najuan a team member of the OLA Girls inventors expressed great joy at their feat saying “ I’m so happy that all the hard work and sleepless nights paid off. Some of the second years had to be called back from home to join us on this project.”
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She strongly appealed to engineering and environmentally friendly companies such as Zoomlion Ghana, to take interest in their invention which is complete, efficient and ready for market to reward people and more importantly keep Ghana clean; “Also, the Reversed Vending Machine which is a feature of our AI Smart Bin rewards people for bringing recyclable materials. I mean, it weighs the value of trash you bring and rewards you in the form of coupons, vouchers or coins. We want Zoom Lion and other companies to invest in the project”, Khalid urged.
Two Facilitators of the OLA Girls Team, Mr. Wisdom Eli Kugbey and Mr. Prince Asebi-Koomson also expressed their excitement at their win and thanked the organizers for the opportunity.
There were many other very innovative projects that were of merit but did not win awards. One such project is the Solar Dryer which dries cassava and other farm produce in a safe container protected from dust, sand and other health hazards.
The Managing Director of ORMI Ghana, stated that her inspiration for organisng the Fair as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stemmed from a bid to help bridge the gap between theoretical studies and practical creative solutions for her country Ghana.
Photos: View more shots from the event
“Through this project, we are trying in our very small but hopefully significant way, to bring to the understanding of our communities and the youths, the main purpose of the teaching-learning process. We at ORMI recognise that children are born with special gifts and hope that through our actions, we can make a dent in the current teaching-learning process and raise awareness that our curriculum needs an overhaul. Today, we have seen that talents abound here. Creative thinking and imagination have been showcased to the fullest. It is only now left with how to market our children’s inventions. This is where industry comes in, to interact with the children, mentor and prepare them for a better way to look at how to make their own future a brighter one for themselves and families.”
For their prizes, each school in both junior and senior categories with a first position took away a laptop; whiles second and third prize winners in both junior and senior categories took home Tablets to help them in their future research. In addition, all participants received certificates of participation, and all girl-inventors received sanitary pads.
Award winners were as follows:
Junior Category
| Position | Project | School |
| 1st | Generator | Dzelukofe E.P. JHS |
| 2nd | Tipper Truck | Dzelukofe E.P. JHS |
| 3rd | Automated Mower | Adafienu E.P. JHS |
Senior Category
| Position | Project | School |
| 1st | AI Smart Bin | OLA (Girls) S.H.S., Ho |
| 2nd | Organic Pesticides | Ve- Koloenu S.H.S |
| 3rd | Integrated Cleaning Technology | Sogakofe S.H.S |
Best Girls’ Team
St. Catherine S.H.S. (SCASCO) – Solar Powered Grass mower
Best Boys’ Team
St. Paul’s S.H.S. (SPACO) – Solar Dryer
Best Team Work
Bishop Herman S.H.S – Irrigation Drone
Best Individual
Dzodze Penyi SHS – Vacuum Cleaner
ORMI invites partners and sponsors to make the Fair better for the nation’s development.
