The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) received a team of researchers from the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna who showcased a walking stick powered by a mobile communication system.
According to a report on the Nigeria Communications Week, the team of scientists and students also presented a prototype for a multiple operator-enabled SIM cards at the NCC headquarters in Abuja. The two projects are sponsored by the telecom industry regulator through a grant.
Research Deputy Director at FUT, Moses Olutoye, stated that the walking stick is designed to make calls while also detecting obstacles on the path of the user.
The lead researcher Abiodun Musa Abinu further claimed that the walking stick can communicate with the user's healthcare giver.
For the multiple operator SIM card, Abinu said it would address the need for Nigerians to carry multiple SIM cards in search of the best network connection at all time.
"We are talking about you having one SIM card for all networks or having one mobile phone with one SIM card for all networks."
Just like the Cloud Cover virtual SIM technology, the multiple operator-enabled SIM will automatically connect to the best available network at any given time and place.
With the SIM card innovation, porting from one network to the other would no longer be necessary. The hope now is that these innovative moves doesn't end up being just another set of school projects that won't see the light of the day.
