Two weeks. That was how much time our first-year Engineering students had to design and build a working prototype for solar-powered mini-generators. The generators were a culmination of their six-week long “Introduction to Engineering” class, during which the students started their foundational classes in Engineering.
The students, split into various groups, took on the challenge against the backdrop of power supply challenges in Ghana’s capital city, Accra. The generator prototypes they built could charge a range of devices, from mobile phones to laptops. The two-week long project was a chance for students to explore for the first time, the different tools and equipment they would be using for their work throughout their next three years on campus.
Below, two groups do a walk-through of their generator prototypes, and explain the thinking which went into their design choices.