By Makundi Senzota
Anthony Ndaro, a student at Arusha Technical College (ATC), the EASTRIP Regional Flagship TVET Institute (RFTI), in Tanzania has designed a smart light control system for people with hand disabilities which can switch on and off electrical loads by blowing to the switches of the electrical load by using mouth or by clapping the hands near the switch.
Anthony Ndaro, the student who designed the system says that the idea resulted from the fact that there are many people with hand disabilities in the community.
“we have people who don’t have both hands and most of the switches are operated by physical contacts therefore this system will help to tackle this problem and help people with no hands to switch on/off the lights easily” said Ndaro.
He adds that the system can also be used in areas where the hands become wet hence having physical contact with the switch can lead to the risk of electrical shock. Furthermore, because it operates without physical contact to the switch it helps to reduce the spread of some diseases that spread by direct physical contact to the objects. Other domestic electrical loads where the system can also be used include fans, fridge, heaters and radios.
The Writer is a Communication Officer for EASTRIP at ATC.
