This Student-Built Robotic Wheelchair Left Everyone at JKUAT Amazed.
The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) hosted the International Kids’ Conference, bringing together secondary school students from Kenya and several countries to showcase innovative projects, research, and technological solutions addressing contemporary global challenges.
Organized by the College of Engineering and Technology, the conference was held on Tuesday with the objective of promoting student voice, creativity, innovation, and academic self-efficacy. The event provided participants with a platform to present original research, innovative concepts, and practical solutions before an international audience while encouraging collaboration among young learners.
The conference was supported by the Australian Globally Engaged Learners Programme and adopted a hybrid format that enabled both physical and virtual participation. The arrangement facilitated cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange among students from Africa and other regions.
A total of thirteen secondary schools participated in the conference, with five schools attending physically. International participation was achieved through virtual presentations by students from Australia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Egypt, expanding the conference’s international engagement and promoting collaborative learning across multiple education systems.
Participants presented projects covering a broad range of disciplines and societal issues. The innovation themes included:
- Financial literacy
- International relations
- Water conservation
- Food safety
- Mental health
- Secure election technology
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for education
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for geohazard monitoring
Among the projects presented was a prototype robotic wheelchair developed by Kabare Girls High School. The innovation was designed to enhance user independence and mobility while reducing the physical demands placed on caregivers by providing improved mobility assistance.
Speaking during the conference, Professor Engineer Hiram Nderitu, Principal of the College of Engineering and Technology, emphasized the importance of investing in youth innovation and supporting young innovators beyond the classroom.
“Our students are the architects of future solutions and they have proven that innovation has no age limit. We must therefore back these young minds from the classroom all the way to the marketplace, supporting them all the way to commercialization which will ultimately drive job creation and fuel national development,” Prof. Nderitu stated.
The founder and chairperson of the conference, Dr. Stephen Spain, reaffirmed the programme’s commitment to promoting student-led research and innovation by encouraging learners to transform classroom knowledge into practical community-based solutions.
“Our mission with the Kids’ Conference Africa is to empower students to lead their own research. We want to help them take what they learn in the classroom and turn it into real world projects that uplift both themselves and their communities. This isn’t just about science; we are here to support young minds across every field including the arts,” Dr. Spain said.
Read Also: Nyakach NG-CDF Acquires Six New School Buses for Local Schools
The conference marked the second consecutive edition of Kids’ Conference Africa. The programme continues to provide secondary school students with an international platform for research presentation, innovation, and collaborative learning by connecting young innovators with peers from different countries and academic backgrounds.
Through the presentation of student-led research and practical innovations across multiple disciplines, the conference maintained its focus on supporting early-stage research and development while promoting collaboration, creativity, and innovation among young learners.
This Student-Built Robotic Wheelchair Left Everyone at JKUAT Amazed.
Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at hello@teachersupdates.news.
