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The design of a low-cost electrocardiogram (ECG)
Full text linkCapstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, May 2022Healthcare is most often unaffordable to the average salary earner. Due to this, individuals do not see the required yearly medical examination as a priority. These check-ups would keep people informed of developments in their health as they age and help prevent some avoidable health conditions, especially cardiovascular diseases. With this knowledge, there is a need for an accessible and affordable way for people to regularly check their heart function and make informed decisions that can help evade critical circumstances. The medical sector in Africa still has a great deal to provide optimum health care to individuals. Many factors, such as long wait times, non-affordable medical insurance and misdiagnosis, keep people further away from visiting hospitals until an emergency arises. In this project, a low-cost heart monitoring system using an electrocardiogram (ECG) is designed. Individuals or community clinics can check the heartbeat/rhythm of patients with possible heart problems while saving time and cost spent at hospitals. The device was designed with an analog circuit for amplification and filtering the signal and post-processing on MATLAB. During testing, the signal was gotten and routed through the microphone jack of a PC to MATLAB for digital filtering. The system will be further developed to include sound indicators for the visually impaired.Ashesi Universit
Fault Detection and Prediction in Induction Motors
Full text linkCapstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, May 2022ccInduction motors are expensive and the backbone of every industry. There would be no production when induction motors break down. It is also costly to repair them after a sudden shutdown. Industries are gradually adapting to predictive maintenance to prevent unnecessary shutdowns and reduce the cost of maintenance. The objective of this paper is to even make the predictive maintenance of inter-turn short circuit fault in induction motors more reliable by adding fault detection and deploying the entire system in an alarm and display system. In this project, secondary current data from a three-phase induction
motor has been used because of the current's capabilities of detecting a higher percentage of electrical faults. This is achieved using predictive maintenance toolbox in MATLAB.Ashesi Universit
Assessing MMDAs Performance Towards Achieving SDGs 6 and 11: A Case of Ga Central Municipality in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
No full textUndergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, May 2022Challenges associated with water, sanitation, and sustainability remain global problems, specifically in developing countries such as Ghana. To combat these issues, Ghana has tried to keep up with global development goals such as the United Nations (UN)’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Ghana has also tried to decentralize its governance structure to bring the government closer to the people. The core units of the decentralized governance structure are the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and these same MMDAs are responsible for implementing national strategies such as the SDGs at the local level.
The research sought to assess Ghana’s decentralized governance by studying challenges faced by the Ga Central Municipality Assembly, the Greater-Accra regional capital’s worst-performing MMDA of 2020. The objectives were to evaluate the state of Ga Central Municipality regarding progress on the SDGs relating to SDG 6 (water and sanitation) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), identify problems encountered, and provide recommendations. The study followed a narrative qualitative research method, and the data collection methods employed were interviews and observation. The study used primary and secondary data and data sources, including the Ga Central Municipality residents, officers in the Ga Central Municipal Office, the UNDP, and the NDPC. Information from the Local Governance Act 936 was also used. The findings suggested that the Ga Central Municipality was in a poor state regarding attaining SDGs related to water, sanitation, and sustainability. The reasons for poor performance included lack of cooperation, communication, education, and financial constraints. Recommendations to resolve the issues were improved communication, cooperation, and education on the role and importance of MMDAs.Ashesi Universit
Monitoring system of a portable household-scale biodigester
Full text linkCapstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, May 2022The ever-increasing amount of waste as the population grows prompted the primary concern
of identifying various methods for reducing the growing amount of waste, in this case,
biowaste. Anaerobic digestion methods, when applied to biomass waste, are a cost-effective
approach to generating energy while also addressing environmental concerns. The few
biodigesters that have been used on the African continent do not live up to their expected
life-span. And this is because of lack of a control mechanism to monitor the degradation
process in the biodigester. Biodigester monitoring systems that have been used mainly in the
developed countries target large bio-energy generating plants. However, these monitoring
solutions cannot be used with small house-hold scale biodigesters because of their
complexity and high cost. In this project, a low-cost monitoring system of a household-scale
biodigester is implemented to help improve the functionality of the biodigesters and in turn
increase their life-span.Ashesi Universit
Examining the Determinants of Contemporary and Future Demand and Supply Dynamics Of the Global Oil Industry: Implications for Ghana as an Oil Exporter.
Full text linkUndergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, May 2022Global Oil industry demand and supply dynamics have historically been and
remain a major current concern because of how pertinent and far reaching the global
oil industry is for global, national, and local economies. The current problem is that we
do not know where oil will trend in the future, because the demand and supply
determinants of the industry keeps shifting with global dynamics including pandemics
like COVID 19 and for geopolitical reasons. Hence, it is imperative to understand what
is happening in the oil industry now, and the industry’s outlook.
This study posed a simple question “What are the contemporary and future
demand and supply factors of global oil and how should an oil exporting African
country like Ghana position itself given it is currently reliant on oil revenue?” Primary
data was collected using one-on-one semi-structured interviews with industry experts.
Thematic text analysis via a concept mapping approach was also used to analyze data.
The results showed that geopolitics, the push for renewable energy, and energy
efficiency methods are factors influencing supply of global oil. Also, robust economies
and industries, covid-19, energy generation, and environmental concerns are key
determinants of demand of global oil. The outlook of the industry reveals that the oil
industry will change going forward, with renewables forming a bigger part of the
energy mix. As an implication, Ghana will likely benefit from high cash inflows from
oil, and that the global dynamics do not pose a catastrophic threat on the country.
The study recommends that Ghana quickly expedites the exploration and
production of the country's oil reserves. Most importantly, the government is advised
to start developing and implementing policies that will allow it to diversify away from
oil and to invest in and adopt the use of renewables in the long run.Ashesi Universit
Design and Construction of Water Filtration System for Ghanaian Households
Full text linkCapstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, May 2022Activities of illegal mining and improper waste disposal have mainly contaminated water bodies in Ghana with dirt, heavy metals, and other toxins, making it difficult for communities to acquire safe drinking water. The situation in rural areas aggravates due to the lack of decentralized water supply systems. Poor quality drinking water has numerous health complications and is more severe in children under five. In response to the challenge, a water filtration system was designed and modelled with SolidWorks software. A scaffold was built with extruded aluminium and covered with transparent Perspex glass before part assembling. Grey clay was obtained from the Savannah Region in Ghana for moulding a ceramic filtration unit for dirt and particulate removal. Activated carbon was obtained from coconut coir fibres fired at 900 for 30 mins for particulate and heavy metal adsorption. Other agricultural wastes produced from orange and banana peels were primarily used for heavy metal adsorption. Porous poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) membrane was obtained via solvent casting and leaching techniques to support the blockage of leaked particles from travelling through the filtration track. Experimental optimizations were done to reduce the turbidity and heavy metal levels in polluted waters. The filtration system proved to be effective in removing zinc, cadmium, copper and suspended particulates from contaminated water samples (compared with WHO recommended limits). Other water quality parameters: pH, conductivity, and turbidity, were regularly used to ascertain filter duration. The flow rates were determined and compared with the WHO limits. The result and implications were discussed to optimise a multipurpose water filtration system for affected communities.Ashesi Universit
Designing facial recognition system with TinyML
Full text linkCapstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering, May 2022Technological advancement brought about improvements in the way IoT systems
are implanted. The introduction of Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) and edge computing
has made it possible to process data at the edge and carry out machine learning processes
at the edge without relying solely on cloud platforms for such purposes. Due to the
advancement in technology, security can be improved and achieved at a cheaper cost. This
project exploits TinyML technology to develop an access control system that uses facial
recognition to control access to a room. The proposed system sends data that contains the
name of the person who accessed the room and the time the room was accessed. This
allows the user to monitor when and who accessed a room. The project focuses on the
hardware aspect of the system. The system was able to grant access to authorized persons
and can also be controlled from the web application.Ashesi Universit
Investigating the socio-economic challenges faced by female migrant hawkers at the Kasoa Tollbooth
Full text linkUndergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, May 2022Ghana, like many developing countries, experiences a high rate of internal
migration (rural-urban migration). This type of mobility is many times performed by
people moving from rural dwellings to urban centers in search of economic
opportunities. Over the years, women's participation in Ghana's rural-urban migration
streams has seen a rise and street hawking is one of the popular informal economic opportunities taken up by female migrants in Ghana's urban spaces. Despite its
opportunity for financial freedom, the job is characterized by harsh working conditions,
insecurity and the risk of physical harm and abuse.
The objective of this study is to recommend solutions for sustainable, long-term
positive impact in the lives of female migrant street hawkers by focusing on those who
work near the Kasoa Tollbooth. To achieve this, the research asked questions concerned
with why the females migrated and what socio-economic challenges they faced. The
study also looked at whether the females still believe that the decision to migrate was
the correct one, given different factors. The research was analyzed using the qualitative
phenomenological approach which is advantageous in its ability to capture the experiences and essence of a phenomenon from the perspective of participants. Primary
data was collected on the street hawkers at the Kasoa Tollbooth in the form of in-depth
interviews and focus group discussions. From the research, it was found that the female
migrant hawkers at the Kasoa Tollbooth face many socio-economic challenges
including injuries, illnesses, harassment by officials and theft. According to the
respondents, the best way to help them achieve their long-term goals involves financial assistance either to open a shop, further one's education or pursue a career with an existing skill.Ashesi Universit
Impact of Social Media Influencers on Food Businesses in Ghana- Case Study of Pizzaman Chickenman
Full text linkUndergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, May 2022The advent of social media influencers became necessary as social media usage became a go-to channel for selling products and services. Influencers on social media have aided in the marketing of products and services. Marketing is essential to a business's success. Customers obtain the appropriate product at the right time and place for the right price when the seven Ps of the marketing mix are combined, i.e. product, place, promotion, price, process, physical environment, and people. The relevance of food influencers comes in as many restaurant owners are perceived to lack expertise in digital marketing and branding activities and are interested in adopting the use of social media influencers to assist in selling their products. In Ghana, not enough studies have been carried out to determine the impact of social media influencers on food businesses' sales and brand awareness (Harding et al., 2020). The case study of Pizzaman Chickenman was chosen to answer the research questions and objectives. The objective of this thesis is to learn more about the positive effects of social media influencers on sales revenue, brand awareness, and food demand.Ashesi Universit
Enhancing trust in peer-to-peer lending in Ghana
Full text linkUndergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, May 2022In the past years, financial institutions, mainly in Ghana, have witnessed a lot of innovations
regarding how they operate and serve their customers. The recent introduction of financial
technologies (fintech) includes blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFTS, web3, smart contracts,
mobile banking, crowdfunding, and peer-to-peer lending. Traditional banks have seen parts
of their core business from payment services and credit to advisory services encroached
upon by digital competitors. In the case of credit and loans systems, we have realized how
customers no longer have to file long loan documents in order to secure loans. There has
been the introduction of the peer-to-peer ecosystem where one can just acquire a loan by the
click of a button.
The problem with these systems is that there have been reports with regards to nonrepayment
of loans. Projecting fintech (automated forms of traditional financial services) as
the future, how can we possibly solve this issue of trust in the peer-to-peer ecosystem? The
main objective of this thesis is to explore the probable ways of building private, safe,
and sensitive peer-to-peer applications. Specifically, this paper focuses on how to enhance trust
in peer-to-peer lending systems by exploring credit score ratings, biometrics and smart
contract technology. This thesis recommends a framework on how these systems can be
built to enhance trust during transactions.Ashesi Universit