By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
A graduate of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, north-central Nigeria, Mr.Abdulrahman Raji, has invented an Artificial Intelligence(smart walking stick),a device to aid direction for visually impaired persons by detecting an obstacle in front of them.
He disclosed this in an interview with the correspondent of The Reporters on the sideline of the 4th combined convocation of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja on Saturday where the polytechnic graduated over 12,000 students.
Raji said he was concerned about the difficulty people living with disabilities usually go through in their movement to achieve their daily activities, hence the need to invent the device for them.
“Most of the challenge blind people face in society is a collision with an object in their front and I always feel bad seeing them in such a situation.
“But with this smart walking stick, the device will be able to detect such obstacles and the blind persons will be able to avoid it, direct them to a safe path, and make their walk seamless,” he said.
Raji, a computer scientist, who works with the Kogi State Confluence University of Science and Technology(CUSTECH),Osara,as an ICT officer and embedded system expert, described an embedded system as an electronic component used in making fashionable devices.
According to him, he has also invented a motion-detected device that could expose an intruder to a house, committing one crime or the other.
“I call this one artificial gate man.
In a situation where someone is not at home or office or factory and an intruder storms the house, the device, designed to be placed in a corner of the house will identify such an unwanted visitor.
It will automatically send a text message to notify the owner of the house or office or factory about the presence of the intruder, for prompt reaction,” Raji explained.
He added that he invented a computer surveillance system, which he described as an elevation to the function of the conventional CCTV camera.
The scientist pointed out that such a camera could capture a burglar in a picture and detect his deadly action sending the picture, message, and voice to the cell phone of the owner of the house to draw his attention and react promptly.
He said he had the technology that could help the Kogi state or federal government solve flooding and reduce crime, if an enabling environment, in the form of sponsorship of his research works, nurtured his prowess in science and technology to fruition.
He, therefore, called on the state and federal governments to establish a center for research and innovation and empower scientific and technologically biased youths to use that as a viable leverage to prove their mettle in research to develop the country in general.
The inventor granting interview to our correspondent at the convocation ceremony.
According to the inventor, Kogi state is blessed with many youths like him with a burning desire to showcase their technological and scientific ideas and translate them into reality, through enhanced research.
“All we need is enabling environment from the government to do more research, excel, and use the result of our research to solve many of the environmental and security challenges facing the state and the general society,” he urged.
The inventor said he could be reached via telephone number: +234 806 003 1382.
