EDUCATION

FROM WASTE

Presented by:
Solomon Gitau
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
3D PRINTING & CIRCULAR ECONOMY
OUR PROCESS

WASTE COLLECTION
1 We collect PET bottles for recycling

FILAMENT PRODUCTION

2 Then we clean, chop and melt them to make

a PET filament that is used for 3D printing

3D PRINTING

3 The designed Microscope is then 3D

printed using our 3D printer

3D PRINTED MICROSCOPE

4 The microscope is assembled and ready for

use.
FILAMENT
PRODUCTION

flakes which are replicas to

pellets

Feedback control
open source flake dryers

open source extruder

capacity of 1kg per hour.

currently working on
feedback control
 OPENFLEXURE
MICROSCOPE
Different look????
Changes were done to the original
open flexure microscope to make it
adopt it to vigorous handling.
To be used in low resource setting
high schools in Nairobi.
High reusability.
High humidity and Temp.
Different optics.

14 FUN FACT
Printing one digital microscope consumes on average of

14 plastic bottles.
 CHANGES DONE …….

Smother knobs
Larger stage
Rubber band to nylock nuts
lighting
 SCHOOLS TRIAL
DETAILS
11 Nairobi Schools, including one primary school
9 mixed schools and 2 single sex schools
A total of 1920 pupils across all schools of which 998
Pupils tour to our makerspace

were able to interact with the microscopes

15 teachers were engaged with the project
directly
Students used the microscopes during biology
lessons to view & record observations on various
parts of plant and animal cells
Each of the project schools received at least 3
Digital Microscopes and where necessary, for
the trial, laptops were also provided.
 ST. LAVIDA
Students using the 3D printed

microscope

BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL
Primary School pupils using our microscope
Implementation

TRIAL RESULTS

69% of the students reported engagement and

operating the digital microscope as being easy

86% of the teachers reported that the

digital microscopes were easy to operate for
both the teacher and student

85% of the teachers also reported that the students

actively participated in the biology practical lessons
delivered with the digital microscope
PROJECT CHALLANGES
Filament production has been a major challenge and currently
improvement are being done on the extruder screw and the
diameter sensor which is based on OpenCV.
Curriculum development on 3D printed learning equipment’s
and design of the same is wanting

Systemic challenges are a major setback however

their has been some positive assistance from
Kenya Institute of curriculum Development(KICD)
OTHER LEARNING AIDS

Skeleton- Both life size skeleton, specific parts.

Molecular structures- structure and bonding

Model of the DNA structure

Common solids- Cuboids/ Tetrahedron shapes

Aids for early cognitive skills.

Learning ideas for visually impaired learners. Periodic table etc.

PROJECT SUMMARY
3D print educational equipment for schools to improve STEM
Learning and create equality for all students
Introduce the students to the entire cycle of 3D
printing.
Promote collection and recycling of plastic bottles,
construction of the 3D Printers & creating awareness of
good environmental practices- 3Rs Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle

RECYCLING STEM
Reduce Science |Technology

Reuse Engineering | Mathematics

Recycle
THANKS
Solomon Gitau

solomon.gitau@techfortrade.org
(+254)723654362

Maker Space,
University of Nairobi,Nairobi, Kenya