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Let’s get technological

Synthia /Uiras and Justicia Shipena

From 22-23 May 2019, Berhane Wheeler, a grade 9 learner from Amazing Kids went to the tech innovation bazaar that was held at NUST. This innovation bazaar was meant to encourage the upcoming scientist and developers to pitch their ideas to different companies. The bazaar is the first of its kind in Namibia which aims at reaching the zenith innovation within Namibia.

Wheeler had to pitch his ideas in the dragon’s den where big tech companies such as MTC amongst others where present. This platform gave Wheeler the chance to pitch his mobile application called THE LAB. He went greater lengths to complete his application and used this opportunity to share his idea.

The giant tech companies sat fixated to Wheeler as he divulged his concept to the panel who held the veto to decide on which idea saw its way through to winning the investment to make the idea a reality. When contacted, Wheeler said it provides an opportunity for youngsters to work around the clock to achieve great technological mileage. Above all such opportunities are presented to everyone for embrace, awe and do amazing innovations in their lives for the benefit of the community.

Wheeler said he created the game to help users understand what happens during various science experiments.

He further explained that in the game the user selects the object they want by pressing on it, and once the user selects, they will be able to tap anywhere on the screen to spawn the object.

Wheeler said his game is aimed at helping students learn, while playing a game on a mobile phone.

“During a physical science experiment, students may not know why a certain reaction took place or they might want to experiment but don't know if it's safe. So I created this game to help people know what happens during science experiments, in a fun way,” he said.

The challenges he faced while designing 'The Lab' was that he had to learn how 2D physics and collision detection works, as he only had 3D game development knowledge.

He said coming up with a name for the game was not easy. Another challenge he faced was figuring out how to make the game fit all Android screen resolutions.

The Lab also has a vocabulary session that helps learners understand words they are not familiar with.

Wheeler recommends that his peers play the game, as some scientific reactions take longer, but in the game the reactions take place faster, which is less time consuming. He also said learners can try out the experiments without having to consider safety precautions.

“When doing experiments in a school lab there are so much safety ¬precautions required, like being under the supervision of a teacher, and in the game one can experiment in their own comfort zone, without worrying about explosions and so on,” he said.

Having a keen interest in designing and coding he also previously designed a video game called 'The Heroes of Namibia', which focuses on helping children learn about Namibian historical figures.

He started developing digital games after his mother introduced him to Scratch, a programming language; following which Nust lecturers introduced him to virtual and augmented reality games.

He also took part in a remarkable workshop titled 'Build a guessing game in Python', which he formulated and ran with great impact.

When he was in primary school, Wheeler was also responsible for creating his own computer game that he showcased at the school science fair. The game, which he calls' The Super Quest', is an educational one incorporating subjects such as mathematics and social studies.

“I spend more time making games than I do enjoying them, and I actually enjoy that more. I decided on making an educational game so that it will help children do well in their studies and have fun at the same time,” he said.