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Leonard Ncube, [email protected]

THE Covid-19 and cholera outbreak in the country have inspired learners from Mosi-oa-Tunya High School in Victoria Falls to design robot cleaning machines that can sanitise floors and carpets without human contact.

Kevin Tshuma, Joseph Chindora (both in Form 6), Bulisani Sibanda and Dumisani Tshuma, (both Form 5) designed the eco-friendly machines which they are showcasing at the Victoria Falls City Council stand at the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

The three machines they are showcasing include a multi-purpose cleaning robot, hybrid hand sanitiser, and carpet cleaner.
They can all be used in sensitive places like hospitals and mortuaries during pandemic times to avoid direct contact with infected places or bodies.

The carpet cleaner can also be used in hotels, and could be handy for the tourism industry while the hybrid hand sanitiser can be used in places like Hwange where residents use public toilets and can be put outside the facility for people to sanitise.

It can also be used at public gatherings as it has a sanitising nozzle and hand dryer all fitted in one.

The sanitiser’s components include an 18V battery and water pump.

The carpet cleaner has a battery that powers two motors that run the brushes to clean and has a nozzle to spray liquid soap while the robot cleaner is also solar powered and is controlled from a mobile phone.

All the machines were made using scrap recycled material and use solar making the prototype projects eco-friendly.

“This hybrid sanitising machine is used to sanitise hands. We designed it as a team and we are using it at school to sanitise hands. It can be put outside public toilets in Hwange where there is cholera so that people maintain high standards of hygine. We wish Government could help us to start a company and produce more machines that can be used all over Zimbabwe,” said Dumisani.

Bulisani said the makes cleaning easier.

“Seeing that cleaning a carpet is very hard when done manually, so we came up with an innovative mind of making our own from recycled material. It is also eco-friendly as it uses a solar to recharge its batteries and can be used in hotels and other public places,” he said.

Joseph said the multi-purpose cleaning robot was designed from scrap material they picked from around the school and uses solar energy.

“We designed it to clean places like hospitals and mortuaries which are highly sensitive areas so instead of sending a person to clean mess, one can only programme the cleaning robot to do so. It’s mobile controlled and one assigns activity on the phone and programme it to spray detergents and move brushes thereby protecting humans from getting in contact with infected surfaces. We are using it in places like hospitals and we have tried it at Chinotimba Clinic where we went and demonstrated for them,” he said.

Kelvin added: “We had Covid-19 and cholera and other diseases and so instead of sending someone to go and clean and risking their lives, hospitals and mortuaries can assign these machines. We are planning to elevate these projects if we get funding and even invent more, so we would request resources so that we make bigger and sophisticated one for business.”

The four also made a DJI application that can be used to control drones when taking videos and photographs and it is also being showcased at the ZITF.

Government has promised to finance projects innovated by young people and help them patent them.