The Lagos State University (LASU) Faculty of Engineering COVID-19 response team has produced an automated solar-powered hand washing station machine as part of its contribution to the fight against the ravaging novel coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Leader of the Faculty of Engineering COVID-19 Research Team, Dr. Nurudeen Raji, at the presentation of the machine yesterday, explained that the automated solar-powered hand washing station machine does not require any touch from the user, as it has only one switch to put it on.
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The machine, according to him, also uses two small rechargeable batteries which can power the system continuously for a year.
Dr Raji further disclosed that the supply of water to the machine was done through a transparent hose and could be connected to either side of the machine, while another hose drains waste water, which may contain coronavirus to a nearby ground for proper disposal.
“The machine has LED indicators to visually indicate when it is charging and when it is working. It has soap dispensers which can serve 1,000 users at each refill,” he said.
The Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Professor Elkanah Oyetunji, noted that the machine will be very useful where there is a large number of people, and thanked the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Victoria Island branch, for sponsoring the prototype of the machine.
“The project was successful because a lot of challenges were thrown at the faculty to come up with innovations on the coronavirus pandemic just like other institutions are doing,” he said.