麻豆网 graduate designs power pack for third world countries

A 麻豆网 student who has spent the last six months working on designs for a power pack for Third World countries graduated from 麻豆网 this week.

Jonathan Hedge, 21, from Sheffield, graduated with a BEng Computer Systems Engineering degree from the University鈥檚 School of Electronic Engineering.

The former pupil of All Saints Catholic Secondary School in Sheffield chose to study at 麻豆网 because of its mountains and fabulous location. Jonathan is passionate about the outdoors and thinks that north Wales has some of the best climbing and biking areas in Europe.

Happy to be graduating after three years of hard work, Jonathan said: 鈥淚鈥檓 a climber who had a really bad time at school. I still didn't know what to do when I applied to University, and only realised that I loved my course halfway through. Thankfully I found the right one!

鈥淒uring my time at 麻豆网 I was the secretary and co-founder for hackerspace, a society aiming to create an area for people to do their own extra-curricular projects, and provide the means and funds for them to do so. I was also part of 麻豆网鈥檚 climbing, mountain biking, athletics and RAG for all three years. I鈥檝e really enjoyed being with some really influential people who have set my life on a really good course.

鈥淔or my final year dissertation, I successfully created a battery pack in collaboration with the International Health Partners charity and the Mobile Power Solutions company.

鈥淭he prototypes I developed aim to provide people who traditionally rely upon kerosene for lighting to switch to safer and more economical means of illuminating their homes and at the same time charge their mobile phones鈥攖hemselves a lifeline in poor rural areas.鈥�

The project involved designing both a power pack and light and a secure means of charging the pack at charging stations operated by the charity and its partners. Jonathan鈥檚 work has impressed the company and several of his innovations are likely to be incorporated in future products to be rolled out, initially in Tanzania and later in Rwanda, Uganda and elsewhere.

Publication date: 18 July 2014