5 research outputs found
Development in Astronomy and Space Science in Africa
The development of astronomy and space science in Africa has grown
significantly over the past few years. These advancements make the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals more achievable, and open up the
possibility of new beneficial collaborations.Comment: Paper published in Nature Astronomy. Figures 1 and 2 are included in
the published version, that can be seen at https://rdcu.be/2oE
Development and Optimization of an Automated Irrigation System
The deployment of appropriate technologies to enhance
modern agricultural practices and improve crop yields
is imperative for sustainability. This paper presents the
development of a standalone automated irrigation system.
The system design features good automation and
control, which was achieved using an array of electronic
timing system, soil feedback sensor and wireless communication
system. Autonomous irrigation events are based
on the states of the timing system, the soil feedback system
and the wireless communication system. The control
and automation of these systems was done using an AVR
microcontroller, which was programmed to trigger intelligent
and independent farm irrigation operation through
a water pump attached to the system. The system also
operates remotely via SMS command from mobile device
and sends operational status feedback via SMS to preprogrammed
mobile user(s). It also sends soil moisture
condition to a remote user upon query. The system package
was produced using additive manufacturing technique.
The power supply system was implemented using
solar power system in order to achieve a standalone,
autonomous and reliable power supply necessary for an
independent operation. The performance evaluation of
the developed system show impressive response time,
good reliability and excellent stability. Furthermore, the
numerical experiment conducted using the Response
Surface Methodology (RSM) produced a mathematical
model for the optimization of the irrigation process for
optimum performance and cost effectiveness
The Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers
International audienceThe Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers (PASEA) is an innovative short course for African university students, held by an African-led international collaboration. PASEA aims to build a critical mass of astronomers in Africa and exchange ideas about teaching across continents
Development in astronomy and space science in Africa
The development of astronomy and space science in Africa has grown significantly over the past few years. These advancements make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals more achievable, and open up the possibility of new beneficial collaborations. © 2018 The Publisher.This paper is dedicated to all of the people who somehow contributed to the development of A&SS in Africa. Without them all of this would not be possible. In addition, this paper was inspired by sessions SS23 and LS7 during the 2018 European Week of A&SS (EWASS). Both sessions were supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK Royal Astronomical Society, International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy for Development, European Astronomical Society, International Science Programme, and Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy project