ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
A smart energy monitor for compound houses that use one shared meter

The project proposed a method of reading individual energy consumption by tenants living in a compound house but share a single meter. The smart energy monitor was designed using ATmega8, SIM800l, PZEM004T, I2C LCD ,SCT-013-000 current sensor. The smart energy monitor solves the problem of bill sharing in compound house that share one meter. The printed circuit board was design ed using Eagle and the program for the system was programmed in the Arduino IDE in c language in Arduino syntax. The proposed method of reading energy from individual rooms using the smart energy monitor was successful. The smart energy monitor was able to read the energy consumed by two tenants on the LCD display and also sent them an SMS to inform them on the amount of energy they consumed at the end of the month.

Source: Ashesi
A Smart Lock Door System Using IRIS Recognition Implemented With Daugman Algorithm and MLP Network

A security system is a paramount aspect of today's life. With the requirement of security systems to give access to specific people, when it comes to using biometrics, iris recognition is emerging as one of the best biometric-based identification systems methods. As every organization needs to secure specific properties and restrict entrance into certain offices in the building, this project is tailored to building an iris recognition system to provide better security to grant or deny access to some offices at CAMFED Zimbabwe. The Daugman's algorithm helped in iris segmentation and feature extracting while utilizing multi-layer perceptron networks for training and feature matching.

Source: Ashesi
A smart wake-up assistive device

This project aims to build a basic, smart alarm device that can assist people to wake up fully and actively. The device is targeted towards deep sleepers, students, workers, people with ADHD, or anyone who struggles to respond to alarms at specific times. The device sounds an alarm at a chosen time for a specified period and uses an image or video processing algorithm to detect sleeping positions. If the user continues sleeping after the alarm goes off, the device texts a friend or relative through WhatsApp for assistance. The device should be able to interact with the user using speech and must be plugged into a power outlet to be powered. All functional requirements were achieved, and the project has the potential to benefit a large number of people in the working-age group who have trouble waking up.

Source: Ashesi
A social networking site for Ashesi students and alumni

Social networking sites (SNSs) are a 21st century phenomenon which has come to stay. There exist over a hundred social networking sites created for various reasons which support a wide range of interests. With over a thousand alumni since Ashesi’s first graduate class in 2005, there is no Ashesi platform for both students and alumni to connect with one another to build relationships. The available platforms have either Students or Alumni but not both parties. Although there are popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, these sites do not serve as an appropriate platform for alumni to connect with students due to its large population. This project sought to create a Social Networking Site solely for the Ashesi community. This is to connect students with alumni to develop relationships, collaborate on projects, provide mentorship and increase job opportunities. In addition, the project sought to provide an easy and accurate way of generating a CV in the Ashesi format. This is to replace the manual approach employed by students which often resulted in formatting errors. In summary, this project involved the creation of a web application with the basic features of social networking sites to allow for interaction between Ashesi students and alumni.

Source: Ashesi
A software configurable automation system (SCAS)

Along with a proliferation of electronic gadgets and devices for the home and office, the past few years has seen a steady increase in the degree of automation of devices in the home or office. A number of opportunities have been provided by commercial products as well as self developed systems that incorporate a means of controlling and/or monitoring devices. However many of the solutions provided are either expensive or limited in their application. This project is concerned with the design of a flexible and low cost automation system that provides a platform upon which various automation systems can be built. It consists of hardware to interface devices to a home server which a PC is running the Windows Operating System. A desktop application which provides a Graphical User Interface to set up and configure the connected devices is developed, as well as software for a mobile device that can be used as a remote controller for the system.

Source: Ashesi
A study of technology use in Ghanaian law firms

The Ghanaian legal system is gradually developing and incorporating technology in its operations and the delivery of legal services. Technology in the form of hardware and software is transforming the legal system in efficiency and structural changes. This thesis presents a study on the impact of technology uptake in Ghanaian law firms. It also presents recommendations on the use of technology in Ghanaian law firms and in the legal system in general.

Source: Ashesi
A study whether animations can help algorithms students understand computational complexity

This paper seeks to discover if using animations to explain computational complexity to Algorithms students is better than using only handouts. As researchers in the field have shown, theoretical topics such as computational complexity are often difficult for students to understand especially because these students find the math and reductions too abstract to understand. In this paper, the author developed a visualisation system with key animations to improve students understanding. Students taking an Algorithms course were the participants of the study. They were equally divided into a control group and experimental group. The study took place in this order: all students took a class on computational complexity, then a pre-test, the control group used handouts while the experimental group used the animation system to learn computational complexity, finally everyone took a post-test. After running the Mann Whitney test, the results showed that there was no significant difference between the scores of the control group and experimental group. Hence, both the handouts and animation provide a similar level of understanding.

Source: Ashesi
A tablet based tool to aid learning of mathematics for basic 1 and 2 pupils in Berekuso

Over the past decade, the use of tablets in teaching basic school students has increased by 32.1%. [0] In this project, the researcher considers and analyses a tablet-based mathematics software and how feasible its implementation and use will impact the understanding of mathematics. A quantitative and qualitative test was carried out on 20 primaries one and two students and the result shows an improved understanding of mathematics knowledge using the tablets. The effects, however, may depend on how long an instructor spends with the students and if the use of the tablet is led by a teacher. This research paper should provide insight to some background work, related works in this domain, data collection approaches, application development and suggestions that will enable future researchers in this field to further enhance the development and adoption.

Source: Ashesi
A task scheduling system for small and medium scale enterprises

High variety industries are characterized by low volume and high product variety. As such their production processes grow more complex with the increase in product variations. Hence, the use of tools such as project management and scheduling applications are important in ensuring efficient production runs. Though SMEs are present in such industries, they have been slow in the adoption of technology due to varied reasons. This slow adoption is often attributed to high set up costs and the complex nature of such tools. This project involves the development of a task scheduling application that will be simple enough to incorporate into their operations and can help make the operations of SMEs in such industries more efficient. Additionally, this application employs a user-friendly approach in order to eliminate the initial cost of training and to help ease their adoption of technology.

Source: Ashesi
A testbed for teaching Industrial Automation 4.0

This paper explores the current flaws of the undergraduate syllabi treating Industrial Automation and Control. It elaborates on the disparities between the current syllabi and what is used in Industry; particularly the current trend of Industrial Automation. It looks at the effect of not meeting this trend in Industry and thus offers a solution in the form of another curriculum, which incorporates concepts of Industrial Automation 4.0 which are necessary for the workplace. It uses the core topics of this syllabus to build a testbed to help familiarise students with how all these concepts work together. This testbed is simply a system to monitor and control the temperature and the flow of water between two containers using a programmable logic controller and an AC Drive. It concludes with the limitations of the curriculum and concepts which could be used to expand the curriculum further to facilitate other topics which are used in Industry.

Source: Ashesi
A tool for the teachers and coaches of the Mother Tongue Literacy Project

There have been many changes in Ghana’s school language policy and this is main due to the desire to improve literacy acquisition. However, there has been little improvement in the literacy and numeracy skills of students. There is now a recognised need for a better means of effectively teaching children, especially when it comes to English. The Mother Tongue Literacy Project was established to enhance mother tongue literacy acquisition and teach English as a second language. This project aims at developing a technological tool that will support the teachers and coaches of the organisation. The application is tailored for the literacy project, and as such, it includes the lesson guides for the teachers and additional features such as a timer, an assessment form and a way to share and view photos of teaching and learning materials, to make it easy for them to prepare and teach each lesson.

Source: Ashesi
A tracking and billing system for commercial vehicles

The Ghanaian transit system poses certain challenges to users, as it usually has passengers waiting at bus stops for a bus to their destination, for an unknown amount of time because there is no means of tracking the buses. The system is also problematic as passengers usually argue with bus conductors for change, when payments are made in high denominations, because there are no cashless payment methods available. This makes planning of journeys difficult to users of this system. Existing systems generally use a GPS receiver and cellular data network to transmit location information. Other public transportation systems incorporate additional systems that allow passengers to make cashless payments. This project solves the tracking problem on the Ghanaian transportation system by installing a GPS enabled device in the vehicle which would transmit the location coordinates to a server using long-range radio (LoRa) waves instead of the cellular data network. For payments, a system is developed that permits users to make payments using an NFC card or by scanning a QR code, unique to each bus which would then make a deduction from the users account.

Source: Ashesi
A tracking device for use in missing persons cases

In Ghana, kidnap cases are continually on the rise. Each day we hear cases of individuals of all ages going missing, with the local police forces claiming to solve most of these cases, yet the ratio of missing to discovered individuals is as high as ever. In Western countries, there are systems put in place to aid in the location of missing individuals. In Ghana however, the way in which this is done is by sharing information on the missing individuals on different social media platforms. This method of location is problematic as most individuals that go missing are not found for several years. In this project, a tracking device is designed and implemented to aid the families of missing individuals locate their loved ones. The results from this project identify that the location of a missing individual can be accurately determined with the aid of the tracking device. As such, the device can be used in conjunction with local police authorities in an effort to reduce the rate at which individuals go missing in the country.

Source: Ashesi
A traffic management system to improve traffic control

Vehicles provide an efficient way of transportation across the cities of Greater Accra in Ghana. Technology has impacted the transportation sector through variety of modes such as applications for routing. An example of this is the google maps mobile application. However, due to bad road networks and a time sequenced traffic control system in Ghana, traffic congestion is a major problem during peak times of the day. In cases of emergencies where a route needs to be created for emergency vehicles, there is no control system in place to safely prioritize their movements at intersections. In this project, a traffic management system was designed and built as a way of improving traffic flow by decreasing the waiting time experienced by users on the road. This system is aimed at providing a modular and efficient way of controlling traffic based on a condition-based algorithm. The system also enables an administrator to control the traffic junctions remotely to meet different emergency situations.

Source: Ashesi
A universal online application system for universities in Ghana

Roughly half of the universities in Ghana still require applicants to send their applications in via post or in person. This places a huge burden on the applicants as many factors come into play, the biggest one being distance. Unnecessary costs are incurred by both the applicants and the schools. Another problem with the current application system in Ghana arises from the fact that universities ask for quite a lot of information from their applicants. In the case where applicants apply to multiple schools, the application process becomes repetitive and tiresome. In this paper, a solution is proposed whereby applicants create an account, fill their personal information once and be able to apply to multiple schools. This application streamlines the application process and makes it more convenient for its users. All the information required by the schools is managed in one account, reducing the stress and burden of applicants remembering various combinations of usernames and passwords. Research was conducted and requirements gathered to provide a basis for this solution. After requirements had been identified, the web application was designed using use cases and necessary diagrams. The application was implemented with the use of HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript languages. The system was finally subjected to testing (development and user) to ensure that it meets its requirements. Feedback was collected for future work.

Source: Ashesi
A universal platform for electronic health records for low resource hospitals

Due to the lack of health management systems and technical know-how, most hospitals in Ghana continue to use a file-based system approach. While this method works, it is ineffective for storing and managing medical records. It is difficult to organize and maintain track of information that's dispersed all over the place. Likewise, there is no smart system in place to help transfer medical data from an instrument into the database system of a hospital management to aid in efficiency. Hence, this paper examines the shortcomings in the management methods utilized by Ghana's healthcare institutions, as well as the inefficiencies that result. It goes into details on the nature of electronic health records and the benefits they provide, such as making distance communication and data interchange more accessible, improving the quality of medical treatment, and so on. The project is broken down into three sections. The project's initial goal is to create a hospital management system that eliminates the need for paper medical records. Followed by the transfer of patient data from one hospital to another however, the hospitals must be on the same management system. Finally, to aid in making the system smart is the creation a pulse oximeter that sends the SpO2 value to the hospital management system's database. The report finishes by elaborating on the project's challenges, limitations, and a recommendation for what to do next.

Source: Ashesi
A user-centred approach to a business management application for small business owners

Due to the expected changes in the business industry, businesses are placing greater emphasis on innovation. Most businesses are taking advantage of technology to achieve innovation. As such, a number of business tools have been developed to help business owners manage their businesses. However, these tools are not utilised by several well-educated small business owners because they claim to prefer their current methods. This is because they believe that paper or a simple Excel sheet is less complicated than an application that will stand as a challenge for them and disconnect them from their business. This project employs a user-centred design to present a simple web application to help small business owners manage their sales, customer, inventory and receivables. The application has an integrated notification system that keeps the business owner updated on activities occurring within their business. The application follows design principles in order to achieve a simple, useful and usable application for the small business owners who are novice technology users. After conducting several tests, it can be concluded that the solution is a highly usable and useful application for its target users. Usability tests revealed that the application saves time and effort and hence increases operational efficiency for small businesses and their owners. By adopting this solution and implementing further features, small business owners can be kept abreast with their businesses and can sustain their businesses over the years to come.

Source: Ashesi
A web application platform that connects recruiters and students/graduates in universities in Ghana

Youth unemployment remains a pressing issue in Ghana and across Africa, as young graduates often struggle to secure employment or find suitable internship opportunities. Similarly, recruiters face challenges in identifying and selecting qualified candidates. While several job search platforms exist online, they often fail to provide effective solutions for recruiters and job seekers alike. In response, we have developed a customized web application platform for universities, designed to expose students skills and their potential, and facilitate the recruitment process. This paper will discuss in detail the addressed problem and the limitations of existing job search platforms. It describes our solution, a web application platform that addresses these challenges and facilitates recruitment for both recruiters and job seekers. The paper also discusses the development of this system and its potential to transform the recruitment process for recruiters and assist students and graduates in finding internships and employment opportunities.

Source: Ashesi
A web based application with numberous functionalities to support activities of African Polistas in Ghana

Technology has become a core part of most businesses both in the formal and informal sectors. Businesses are leveraging on the potency of technology to improve processes and increase revenue. African Polistas is a polo club here in Ghana having a branch in South Africa, USA and other parts of the world. Currently the club does not have an online presence making it difficult to connect with its members and reach out to prospective members as well. Due to its absence online, the club is unable to sell its merchandise to a wider market. This project focuses on building a web-based application for African Polistas to give it an online presence. Among the features of the application are; e-commerce platform, a chatbot, community chat platform, service subscription and membership registration services. The e-commerce platform is to enable the club make sales of its merchandise online and reach a wider market. The community chat forum is to connect all members of the club so they can network and know each other. The club offers horse riding school services, tourism services, takes part in polo tournaments; registered members of the club should be able to sign up for these services.

Source: Ashesi
A web-based application for the sale of used cars which predicts market values

Ghana's vehicle market is dominated by used cars. For a variety of reasons, most Ghanaians prefer to acquire secondhand automobiles rather than new ones. One issue that Ghanaians experience is that the cost of secondhand cars is increasing and has been increasing over time. The Ghana Revenue Authority imposes taxes and levies on vehicles when they are imported into the nation, the Ghana Cedi's depreciation, and profit-minded vendors who like to sell their used vehicles near to the original purchase price are some of the reasons for this increase. Buyers who have no idea how autos are priced are frequently duped in transactions. This project aims to make the Ghanaian automobile sales industry fairer by predicting the correct market value for various vehicles. Buyers will be able to see which cars are overpriced, and suppliers will be able to avoid overpricing their vehicles. The market values will be calculated using a machine learning model based on current market prices. The model is embedded in a web application for the sale of used automobiles, and it predicts the market value of vehicles listed on the application.

Source: Ashesi
A web-based customer database management system for Cadmus Electronics Ltd. with bulk SMS notification feature

DSTV is a satellite television service provider established by Multichoice that provides entertainment services via satellite TV to residents in African countries on a monthly basis. To continue enjoying DSTV’s services, subscribers pay monthly fees via options such as Mobile Money, PayPal, and DSTV Dealers or agents. There are many DSTV Dealers in Ghana, and among the popular ones is Cadmus Electronics Ltd., which functions as both an electronics company and a Dealer for both DSTV and Canal+ (a similar satellite television service for francophone subscribers). With the existence of several DSTV Dealers in the country, Cadmus faces a tough competition of attracting customers to pay their DSTV bills through their branches in order to obtain higher revenue. Without a database of new and regular customers, Cadmus is unable to keep track of its growth rate and also promote its brand as the best DSTV dealer in the country. Cadmus desires to be the primary point of contact for all DSTV-related issues, enquiries and payments which will increase its revenue and popularity in Ghana. This project seeks to build a web-based customer database management system for Cadmus Electronics, called OrionMonitor, which will also have a bulk SMS feature which will notify its customers of monthly payments to be made and provide detailed options for payment (e.g. Mobile Money or Cadmus branches).

Source: Ashesi