2 female UMAT students develop alcohol-detecting device

Two female students of the George Grant University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa in the Western Region have invented an alcohol detection and engine locking system for cars.

According to the 2 female Computer Science and Engineering students said they developed the gadget to help curb drink-driving in the country.

The names of the 2 students are Mercy Adonu Quaye and Irene Okai who both 22 years.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Mercy Adonu Oquaye explained that “this device with an inbuilt sensor is connected to the ignition circuit of the car. If the driver gets to sit behind the steering wheel and the sensor detects that there is alcohol in the breath of the driver, it will automatically disable the igniting ability of the car, and then quickly sends SMS to preferred mobile numbers configured on the device, alerting these contacts that the driver has taken alcohol and is trying to drive.”

“This way, we could reduce alcohol-related road accidents to prevent some of the carnage we see on our roads.”

The pair, who are both third-year students of the university displayed their project at the 4th Innovation and Career Fair held at the University on Friday. They eventually won the ultimate prize for their “invention”.

After winning the prize the happy students said that “we are presently working on improving the system. We want to make it such that you cannot disable the device when fitted to your ignition systems, to avoid drivers beating the system.”

They were grateful to their lecturers and supervisors for the support given them during the processes leading up to the invention.

It is their dream of sustaining the project, whilst they consider commercializing it in the future.