BLAST FROM THE PAST: A Review of The Internet Of Things (IoT) Training at the Hub

The Ken Saro-Wiwa Innovation Hub is committed to learning the dynamics of technology and using it to solve pressing problems in the Niger Delta… a pertinent focus of ours is emerging & future technologies, and Internet of Things (IoT) is one of them.

Simply put, IoT is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). This includes everything from cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of.

On the 15th & 16th of November 2018, 10 Females & 48 Males gathered at the Hub to use IoT to create a dummy traffic light, in a bid to understand & crack the problem of traffic jams in the Rumuokoro region of Port Harcourt.

During the first day of the training, the participants were split into four separate groups, with each group having a team lead. They were then introduced to the IoT starter pack. The facilitator explained what each component of the starter pack is used for and how to use them. He also led the participants to wire the Arduino board, in a bid to get them to get hands-on experience of each component of the starter pack.

On the second day of the training, the teams got down to the crucks of the matter- the creation and powering of a mini traffic light. The LEDs were soldered and the participants went on to wire the Arduino boards and write the appropriate codes for control on Sketch.