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St Peter’s Naalya students develop system to check car water levels
A security guard opens a gate at St Peter’s Naalya recently. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The system has a red and green light, with the former showing that the coolant is empty.
Senior Five students of St Peter’s Naalya Secondary school have invented an auto-motor system aimed at alerting and sending notification about the amount of water in the engine coolant.
The students, who participated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competitions on Friday at the Innovation Village in Ntinda, Kampala, said the system simplifies the work of a motorist who can establish whether there is water in the coolant or not without moving out of the car.
According to Ms Hawah Naiga, the group leader, the system has not been catered for in many cars on the market.
She said as a result, motorists have to open their bonnets to check physically if their cars have enough water, a process she said is inconveniencing.
“Security officers have on several occasions attributed numerous accidents in the country to engine failures. One of the causes of engine failure is lack of water in the coolant. With this system, drivers who feel lazy to check their bonnets regularly will receive warning notifications on their dash board without moving out of the car,” Ms Naiga said.
How it works
The system has a red and green light, with the former showing that the coolant is empty.
Students of Kyambogo College also took part in the competitions on innovations in agriculture, security and information systems.
The students, together with their St Peter’s Naalya counterparts, invented automatic plant watering systems that detect water levels in the soil and command the system to irrigate in case of low water in the soil.
Other students invented smoke detectors, automatic alarm systems and motion sensors, among others.
Mr Francis Omara from Kyambogo College said the security systems they innovated would address the crime rates .
He said the system sensers motion of objects and sends an alert on the phone of the owners of the home, shop or offices and can notify one about intruders.
The director of Studies at Kyambogo College, Mr James Opio Ayo, said there are no programmes in the A-Level curriculum which can equip learners with innovative skills.
He said with these skills, learners can easily fit in the industry after their studies.
“All these young children who have innovated numerous things can never go without jobs. They are wealthier already. The government should fix these practical programmes into our curriculum to make our learners more innovative and creative,” Mr Opio said.
The competitions are being mobilised by the Sahara Foundation to promote increased access to energy and sustainable environment.
Scientists are among the best paid civil servants in the country, hence various efforts have been put forward to encourage the young learners to offer sciences at all levels.
