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A low-cost microcontroller-based PLC for industrial automation of a gold processing plant
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 2022Most mining companies incur losses because of the improper automation of their gold extraction procedures. Some companies tend to rely on relay logic, a more cumbersome and inefficient automation method. This approach involves the manual control of the plant with relays and contactors. Another approach involves buying a Programmable Logic Controller from third-party companies. However, this method is very expensive and requires company-specific products to move.
The paper discusses the successful design of a low-cost microcontroller-based Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). This PLC was designed as a cheaper approach for mining companies in Ghana. The design was initially implemented with the MKL25Z microcontroller but was later replaced with the Atmega128 due to the unavailability of the MKL25Z microcontroller as a result of a global chip shortage. The PLC was implemented on a Printed Circuit Board and can be programmed with any of the IEC 61131-3 standard programming languages for Programmable Controllers (Ladder Logic, Instruction List, etc.) using a open source software called OpenPLC which can supports the use of these languages on a microcontroller. Additionally, the PLC can communicate with a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system via Modbus IP, allowing for the SCADA system to monitor the states of the input and output devices, as well as control the field devices from the office.Ashesi Universit
An Intelligent Telehealth System to Manage the Spread of COVID-19 at Hospitals
Full text linkApplied project submitted to the Department of Computer Science, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science April 2022With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, people who visit hospitals are put at risk of contracting the virus in addition to their existing condition. As a result of the risks associated with the COVID-19 virus, unique and innovative solutions must be introduced to help reduce the spread of the virus. This project proposes an Intelligent Telehealth system to help manage the spread of the COVID-19 virus by reducing the number of physical interactions at hospitals. This system would help reduce the number of physical interactions at hospitals by instituting virtual consultations between doctors and patients. These consultations would include special features such as a Computer Vision component to monitor facial expressions. These special features would ensure that the gap between physical healthcare and virtual healthcare is bridged. The system was implemented as a mobile application for patients to create and manage bookings with doctors and to manage their medical records as well. A web application was also built to handle video consultations and to give doctors the opportunity to update the patient’s medical records during consultations. After the system was implemented, it was tested with three patients to measure its usability and usefulness. Scores were measured on a scale of 1 - 5 and all patients had scores ranging from 3-5 thus showing the usefulness of the system.Ashesi Universit
Emotional support system for supporting children on the autism spectrum using an embedded system
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 2022Autism Spectrum Disorder is a group of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders mainly
characterised by aberrant restrictive behaviour patterns such as self-injurious behaviours (SIB).
These behaviours are attributed to the social impairments of the autistic child. This project
proposes the design of a miniature robot toy that responds to tactile triggers through vocal
communication, facial expressions, and body gestures. The robot is designed to be low powered
and low cost to ensure that parents with children on the spectrum can have an affordable
intervention medium for their children. The different triggers for the different emotional states
regarding the requirements suited to an autistic child are met by the robot design.Ashesi Universit
Design and fabrication of a low-cost greenhouse for small-scale farming in tropical climates
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 2022As the world's population grows, so does the magnitude of food insecurity. There is increasingly a need for sustainable methods of agricultural production, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Increasing production solves the problem of food insecurity and reduces dependence on imports, thereby increasing national and regional Gross Domestic Products (GDPs). This project aims to design and fabricate a low-cost greenhouse for crop production in Sierra Leone. This design is integrated with a control system consisting of appropriate sensors to simulate suitable optimum conditions for crop growth and photosynthesis. An appropriate prototype is fabricated with a detailed analysis of the design.Ashesi Universit
Examining challenges facing women pursuing doctorate degrees in Ghana
Full text linkUndergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science Degree in Business AdministrationThis study examines the challenges faced by women pursuing doctorate degrees in
Ghana using doctorate students from the University of Ghana as the case study. While
women's participation in education in Ghana has improved significantly over the past
years, data suggests that women are still missing at higher levels of education, especially
at the doctorate level. Using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach to qualitative research, this study
aims to understand gender-specific differences in the key identity transition from student
to a scholar for men and women pursuing PhDs in Ghana. Identifying these challenges will
help policymakers know how to better support women through their gender-specific
challenges and could help increase the ranks and number of women relative to men in
teaching and research roles within universities. Primary data was collected through semistructured interviews with male and female doctorate students at the University of Ghana.
Transcripts from the research were analysed using thematic analysis.
The results show that women in this study are under much more pressure from
society than men to perform certain gender roles or meet societal gender expectations.
Compared to men, women’s gender roles and expectations more often clashed with roles
and expectations of their emerging scholarly identity, causing tension. These tensions make
the PhD journey more challenging for women, especially married women compared to
men. It is recommended that the government and higher education institutions provide
priority funding for married women with dependents during the PhD programs. Also, PhD
lecturers and supervisors should be more empathetic toward PhD students balancing family
demands with intense academic programs.Ashesi Universit
Assessing the awareness level of collective investment schemes among formal workers 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 2022Workers dream of a happy retirement after work. Therefore, workers need to plan adequately and ensure that they can meet their future needs after retirement. Currently, all Ghanaian formal workers are mandated to make monthly SSNIT contributions throughout their working life till they retire. However, the SSNIT payments are not enough to maintain the lifestyle and cater for the needs of workers after retirement. The study discusses Collective Investment Schemes as an alternative source of income which can help workers with retirement.
The research explored the awareness level of the fund schemes among formal workers using questionnaires and google forms. The findings revealed that the majority of formal workers were aware of fund schemes. Despite this, nearly half of formal workers do not invest in the fund schemes due to a lack of proper understanding. Alternatively, investors in fund schemes considered safety and returns before investing. The Pearson’s Chi-square test revealed that there was a significant relationship between educational level and the awareness level of fund schemes among formal workers.
The findings reveal that mutual fund agencies need to market their products better for workers to have a full understanding to invest in them. Additionally, formal workers should have alternative sources of income to supplement their salaries and invest towards having a good retirement. SSNIT contributions should be channelled into fund scheme accounts in order to grow the income of workers to help with their retirement.Ashesi Universit
Cassava Plant Disease Detection on Low-End Mobile Devices Using Convolutional Neural Networks
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 2022Cassava is a staple crop used and consumed in predominantly Africa and other parts of the world. However, farmers lose significant portions of potential crop yield due to various cassava plant diseases. Although farmers use fertilisers and other preventive measures to mitigate these diseases, they are usually expensive and hence not very effective and predictive of future diseases. Convolutional Neural Networks(CNNs) provide an avenue to
tackle this issue by providing a model that helps with predictive diagnosis of these diseases with near precise accuracy, even for low-income farmers. This project employed CNNs to build a classification model for cassava plant diseases with an accuracy of 89%. The model was then transformed to work with low-processor power devices and fed to the backend of an Android application. It demonstrated the efficacy of using Machine Learning techniques
to develop applications for low-income farmers that can impact crop yield and agriculture in general.Ashesi UniversityGrade less than
Design of an industrial wireless sensor network for process monitoring and PLC control
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 2022Sensors are used in industry to collect data from the field to regulate and monitor processes.
Traditionally, these sensors have been wired from the field to a Programmable Logic Controller
(PLC) in a control room, which presents problems such as high cost of installing and
maintaining cables and cable trays, as well as the necessity for large panels to house sensor
wiring to PLC input-output (PLCs). A wireless sensor network was built for this project to
collect sensor data from the field and wirelessly send it to a base station interfaced to a PLC in
a control panel. Temperature, pressure, and level are all measured as part of the process. The
latency, coverage range, and received signal strength indicator (RSSI), all critical wireless
network performance characteristics, are assessed. A user web dashboard is created to visualize
sensor readings over time for monitoring purposes. Finally, the data acquired by the sensors at
the base station is used to control PLC output devices using ladder logic programming.Ashesi Universit
Student attendance management system
No full textCapstone 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 2022This project is focused on building an advanced student attendance management system for tertiary institutions such as Ashesi University. Throughout my undergraduate studies at Ashesi, I have witnessed first-hand the challenges that students and faculty face [when] it comes to taking and managing attendance.
The manual processes involved in taking and documenting student attendance can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming. Mostly it involves passing around a sheet of paper for student to write down their names and sign next to it. This process tends to cause disruptions in class as lectures are ongoing. It is also tedious for faculty interns/teaching assistant to go through records sheet by sheet now having to key in attendance records for every student into the student portal.
As such, this project seeks to build an advanced student attendance management which would automate the manual processes involved in taking attendance. The attendance system would make use of facial recognition using tools such raspberry pi, pi camera, and APIs to provide accuracy and efficiency.Ashesi Universit
Air quality monitoring and control in school classrooms
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 2022Studies show that humans spend most of their time indoors, where they are likely to get exposed
to air pollutants. Students are more susceptible as most of their time is spent indoors, mainly in
classrooms. Health implications due to pollutant exposure in classrooms include headaches,
fatigue, and body irritations which affect students' concentration levels and hence their
academic cognition. Health implications of pollutant exposure can also be aggravated by
environmental conditions such as temperature and the number of class occupants. Sadly, it is
hard for students to distinguish between polluted and clean air until their bodies react to
exposure. The desire to set a safe, clean study area for students inspired an engineering design
to monitor and apply smart means to control pollutant concentration. The system consists of
indoor carbon dioxide and temperature sensors and an outdoor particulate matter (PM) sensing
element. When indoor air quality is poor, the system checks outdoor PM levels. Depending on
the levels, the system opens or closes windows or sends an email message to the person in charge for manual intervention. The system also controls the fan depending on the temperature
levels. A small box-shaped house with a sliding window attached to an actuator was constructed
for a quick demo. The system was then checked on different carbon dioxide levels, PM,
temperature, and recorded responses.Ashesi Universit