The teenager who invented the Solar-powered electric motorbike, Samuel Aboagye, has disclosed that he has immense passion for engineering and inventions that he doesn’t mind sacrificing his food money to invent.
According to the 17-year-old JHS graduate, he cannot ignore the urge to invent when ideas come into his mind.
Speaking on Angel FM’s Anopa Bofo Morning Show on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, he said that he started inventing as a child.
“I can’t ignore the urge to invent. As a child, I used to design cars using empty milk tins. I don’t plan or sketch anything down, I must work on it once the idea comes to mind”, he said in Twi.
He informed Kofi Adoma Nwanwani that due to the passion he has for his work, he doesn’t mind using money for food to buy equipment to bring his ideas to life and go hungry.
He made the disclosure when he was asked how he funds his projects.
He however added that his Science Teacher, David Sam-Hagan, paid for his invention of the solar-powered electric motorbike which came at a cost of GHS300.
Aside that, a good Samaritan gave him GHS100 when he saw him riding his scooter, claiming it was nice.
Samuel Aboagye intimated that the idea to create a Solar-powered electric motorbike came to him after witnessing the challenges of the electronic scooter from abroad.
“I chose to go solar cum electricity so that the bike charges while riding and doesn’t leave you stranded like what I saw with the foreign scooter do in traffic”, he revealed.
In an interview with the BBC, he said that his invention was developed to aid physically challenged persons and so all one does is to sit on it and start moving without difficulty or much effort.
With the right resources and finance, Samuel Aboagye hopes to modify the scooter -add a gear to change speed – among others and also build motorbikes that can carry more people.
The electric bike has a Bluetooth connection that also enables a rider to answer calls freely while riding.
Samuel’s solar-powered invention comes with a functioning bell, break, lights, and plays music too.
The teenager, who previously thought of building a wooden car, has created Bluetooth devices using paint containers and gallons.
He has also created a fan that blows air from front and behind using wood as well as a vacuum cleaner.
Meanwhile, Samuel’s teacher, David Sam-Hagan, described him as a laid-back student who rarely speaks up in class.
“Samuel is not your typical A-class student and may be dismissed as not brilliant but he loves Science especially when it comes to electricals and so I added him to a group when a project related to electrons came up”, Mr. Hagan said.
He however noted that what Samuel has done so far is just a tip of the iceberg.
“What you have seen so far is just 10% of his potential because I know him and the kind of discussions, he has with me. His first invention was an electronic hand-washing machine”, the teacher stressed.
Currently, the founder and chairman of the Silicon Valley of Ghana, Dr. Thomas Mensah, has announced that the institution would adopt Samuel Aboagye and put him on an advanced TVET programme which would train him to be the next Dr. Apostle Kojo Safo Kantanka.
In the meantime, Samuel Aboagye is seeking financial aid to expand his inventions and put his ideas to fruition.
