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Using FPGAs as accelerators on MCUs that perform floating-point arthmetic
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 2022Machine learning (ML) is a field under Artificial Intelligence (AI) that focuses on training software
applications to make accurate predictions without being explicitly programmed by a human being.
Because of the advantages of edge computing, such as reduced latency, improved security, and
effective use of bandwidth, it is desirable to execute machine learning algorithms on embedded
devices. However, embedded devices such as microcontrollers are constrained in processing power
and memory. It may be beneficial to use the FPGA as an accelerator to the microcontroller unit,
where computationally heavy operations will be offloaded to the FPGA to boost performance. This
paper will explore the performance gains that can be attained when an FPGA is paired with a
microcontroller that does floating-point arithmetic. From the tests, the system with the accelerator
run at approximately twice the speed of the system comprising the MCU alone.Ashesi Universit
Explorative Study: The Use of HR Analytics in the Recruitment and Selection Process of Firms in Ghana
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 2022Human resource management is a critical part of a business since it involves making proper judgments about human capital. The ambiguity around best-fit jobs, combined with growing knowledge of HR analytics to assist businesses to obtain a competitive advantage, is the primary driver for this research. As a result, the use and maturity level of HR analytics in Ghanaian companies' recruiting and selection processes was explored in this research. The study employed a mixed method approach to research interviewing eight companies from Ghana's Club 100 companies, which were chosen using a multi-stage sampling process. In March 2022, semi-structured online and in-person interviews were conducted. The data was analyzed in Excel using a thematic content method. HR analytics is more prevalent in other HR functions than Recruitment and Selection. The most prevalent type of analytics across businesses was descriptive analytics, with Microsoft Excel being the widely used tool for HR analytics.Ashesi Universit
Design of a power converter for wind turbines at a wind farm in Ningo Prampram
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 2022This paper analyses wind energy conversion system topologies, converter types, and the various machinery and equipment that are chosen for each system. It references works done to build Ghana's first wind farm, a project proposed in 2017 based on wind patterns observed in Ningo Prampram. This paper suggests a Wind Energy Conversion Topology suitable for the Ningo Prampram area, outlines the design and analysis of a back-to-back power converter and filter to meet the standard harmonics requirements. All design and implementations will be carried out using the MATLAB Simulink environment. In this paper, the use of PI controllers and the control of the d-q currents are used to achieve the conversion of mechanical energy obtained from the wind to electrical energy transmitted to the grid to obtain 51% efficiency.Ashesi Universit
The effect of soiling on the efficiency of solar panels In West Africa
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 2022Solar energy has experienced accelerated interest worldwide, including in Africa, due to
pressure from environmental organizations and international institutions to decarbonize the energy
supply system. To maximize the power output from solar panels and increase their efficiency,
there is a need to understand how photovoltaic systems are affected by external factors such as
dust particles in different geographical locations. Soiling is a problem that can severely affect the
viability of PV systems resulting in substantial economic losses. This research project investigates
the effect of the accumulation of dust particles on the efficiency of PV modules at one location in
the Eastern region of Ghana. This is accomplished by setting up an experiment with a power
tracking device that can measure panel performance and elicit its relationship with key
environmental conditions. The data obtained from the setup is then analyzed and compared against
similar experiments done in other parts of the world, especially the one done by Coello and Boyle
in the US. If the data obtained from our research does not obey the models developed by Coello
and Boyle, it is then used to model the relationship between dust accumulation on the panel and
the drop in efficiency of solar panels.Ashesi Universit
Climate Information Systems For Mitigating Climate Change in Livestock Production in Ghana
Full text linkUndergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University College. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Business AdministrationAs the earth's temperature changes throughout time, climate change has been a
worldwide fight. The progression of climate change is likely to affect food security and
promote poverty. Although there are several research papers on the effects of climate
change on agriculture and the adaptation policies required to curb the effects on the
industry, there is barely any research on the effect of climate change on livestock
production. Therefore, this paper assesses the effects of climate change on livestock
production in Ghana, determines the knowledge level and perceptions of smallholder
farmers on the topic, and recommends how climate information systems can be used in
creating policies and information dissemination to aid the mitigation of climate change.
The research was sourced primarily from Tua and Yong in the Northern region of Ghana.
Findings were analyzed using qualitative analysis. From the analysis, it was identified that
climate change negatively impacted the socio-economic activities of livestock production
by causing diseases in animals. These diseases cause a strain on the income of these
smallholder farmers. Findings in the study suggest that climate information services are a
highly effective method in combating climate change and promoting sustainable food
security. Farmers, however, had little to no knowledge of climate information services.
This study concluded then that the impacts of climate change could be curbed by providing
information about climate to livestock farmers and ensuring proper information
dissemination. Policymakers such as MESTI and NCCC should integrate climate-smart
agriculture into livestock production in Ghana and give farmers technologies to help with
their operations while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.Ashesi Universit
Multidimensional object storage and retrieval for spatial databases using coordinate transformation: Performance comparison with the use of R-tree and KD-tree indices
No full textUndergraduate 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 recent times, spatial data has atrracted enough attention that it is being used almost everywhere right from building simple applications such as booking a taxi ride to complex applications such as autonomous driving. While spatial databases have rapidly proliferated in the past decade, extensive research has been conducted on the use of data structures to design efficient algorithms to optimise the storing, retrieving and displaying of spatial data. Research has led to the development of multidimensional index structures such as R-tree and KD-tree among others. Research shows that the GIST framework adopted by Database Management Systems performs slower than the custom implementation of the multidimensional index structures on which the framework was guilt. As a bold step in relying on a custom implementation of the multidimensional index structures, this thesis considered the problem of handling spatial data in geographic coordinates form (i.e. latitudes and longitudes) in a custom implementation of two index structures: R-tree and Kd-tree, as these structure cannot handle effectively geographic coordinates by design. The thesis used coordinate transformation to convert the geographic coordinates into cartesian form for effective handling by both structures mentioned above. Experiments were also conducted to measure the performances of the proposed algorithm that merges coordinate transformation and the custom implementation of R-tree and Kd-tree in terms of object storage, retrieval and removal time costs.Ashesi Universit
Excellent Performance Academy: Effective Administration and Finance Systems
Full text linkApplied project submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, May 2022Excellent Performance Academy is a low fee-paying school established in 1999. Currently, the school has a population of about 150 students and 20 teaching and non-teaching staff. The daily administration of the school is taken care of by a proprietor. There is also a
headmaster who oversees the school's academic activities. Over the years, Excellent Performance Academy has faced some challenges that impede its smooth running. Junior consultants were tasked to diagnose the situation and find the main issue. In trying to address the challenges of the school, an organizational scan, industry analysis, and SWOT analysis were conducted to understand the business and the education industry at large. After gaining knowledge about the industry, situational analysis and a needs assessment were conducted to place the school in context and identify the main problems facing Excellent Performance Academy. The main problem identified was the lack of essential financial management systems to ensure smooth operations, especially regarding the teacher remuneration and school fees collection. As a result, junior consultants concluded that the school needs a well-structured system for fees collection. The team created a comprehensive financial management system for the school. The system comes mainly in two parts. The first part is a school fees tracker, which would help the school track fees, reduce the cost of fee collection, and help keep records. The second part of the management system is a budget template to help the school plan and ensure it operates within its means.Ashesi Universit
Effects of COVID- 19 on Risk Tolerance and Coping Strategies Amongst Investors in Dar Es Salaam
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 2022Covid 19 poses a threat not only to health systems but also to the financial stability of both individuals and nations. The rapid spread of Covid 19 pandemic impacted the financial markets particularly, the investors who put their money into the financial markets with expectations of earning high returns. This study, thus, examines the impact of Covid 19 on the risk tolerance of investors in Dar Es Salaam and the coping mechanisms or strategies employed during the pandemic. This paper explored the strategies that the investors have used to protect their investments during the pandemic. Also, the paper assesses how Covid 19 has impacted the risk tolerance of the investors during the pandemic. The study employed mixed methods. The qualitative part of the study explored the strategies investors used during the pandemic to protect their investments and cope. It was found that investors used at most three common strategies which are diversification of the portfolio, sale of their investment and restraining from doing anything to the investment. A Quantitative method was used to assess the effect of Covid 19 on the risk tolerance of the investors. The study found that there was no significant relationship between covid 19 and the risk tolerance of the individual investor. This indicates that there might be other factors such as income, age, gender that might have caused this outcome. Hence, it is recommended that the study on how the age and gender of an investor can impact one’s risk tolerance should be conducted for future studies.Ashesi Universit
Strategies to Improve the Effectiveness of the Pre-university Educational Systems of Ghana and Rwanda
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 2022Education is key to sustainable national development. It should be the objective of all governments to ensure that quality education is accessible to all citizens. This thesis focuses on the educational systems of two developing African countries: Rwanda and Ghana. The first aim of the thesis is to identify and compare the challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of the Rwandan and Ghanaian educational systems. Next, the research will analyze Singapore and Finland systems to provide suggestions for improving the educational systems of Ghana and Rwanda. Rwanda and Ghana are being compared because of the historical difference in their educational systems. The choice of benchmarking the educational systems of Singapore and Finland is because both countries are ranked high in terms of quality and performance of their educational systems.Ashesi Universit
The Influence of Social Media on Consumer Buying Behaviour: The Case of Ghana's Cosmetic Industry
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 2022As more people join in providing online evaluations, influencing consumer perceptions, social media gives new avenues for consumers to get information about things they want to buy. Additionally, influencers are being used more in social media marketing to influence customer purchase behaviour. Influencer marketing is the act of engaging and advocating for a brand's message via affiliated external content creators or influencers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of social media marketing on consumer purchasing behaviour in Ghana. The research intends to identify the marketing channel for most brands and enterprises in the cosmetic industry and assess how their advertising on the internet and social media affects their customers' buying behaviour.
The study incorporated existing literature to develop a conceptual framework, which was tested to determine the relationships between social media advertising and consumer purchasing behaviours in Ghana. Additionally, the study sought to determine the mediating effect of buying intentions on consumer behaviours. In order to achive this, the study used quantitative data collected using the non-probability approach, specifically random sampling. A sample size of 156 respondents between the ages of 18-60 years. After data collection, SPSS was used to analyse the data using both descriptive and inferential statistical approaches. The findings concluded that it is reasonable to believe that buyers are hardly influenced by internet reviews, especially when they are critical of a product and what affiliations it has to the said brand.Ashesi Universit