How a West African lab made a 3D printer from toxic e-waste

By Chris Giles, CNN

Updated 1122 GMT (1922 HKT) October 16, 2018

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Photos: African innovations that could change the world

Welcome, to the bleeding-edge of African innovation: VR, 3D printing, AI and the rest. The continent isn't just driving technological change for Africa, but for the world. Click through to discover the inventions and innovations coming out of Africa.

3D printing - 3D printing is gaining traction in Africa. In 2013, WoeLabs tech hub in Togo made the first "Made in Africa" 3D printer from e-waste. They want to use the 3D printer to revolutionize Africa. They're starting by putting a machine in every school within 1km of the workshop. Buni Hub is another tech center, based in Tanzania, that is building 3D printers.

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Pneumonia is a deadly condition. It's responsible for <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs331/en/" target="_blank">16% of all deaths of children under five.</a> A main contributing factor to this is slow diagnosis. Ugandan inventor Brian Turyabagye has created a biomedical smart jacket that can diagnose the condition four times faster than a doctor. It's also more accurate. It analyzes the chest and then sends the information via Bluetooth to a smartphone app. <br /><br /><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/24/africa/biomedical-jacket-uganda-africa-tech-rising/index.html" target="_blank"> Read more</a> about this biomedical breakthrough.

Photos: African innovations that could change the world

Biomedical smart jacket – Pneumonia is a deadly condition. It's responsible for 16% of all deaths of children under five. A main contributing factor to this is slow diagnosis. Ugandan inventor Brian Turyabagye has created a biomedical smart jacket that can diagnose the condition four times faster than a doctor. It's also more accurate. It analyzes the chest and then sends the information via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.

Read more about this biomedical breakthrough.

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African countries are developing groundbreaking technology for space exploration. Look no further than the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) in South Africa which, once completed, is set to be world's largest telescope. It will allow scientists to look many times deeper into space. <br /><br /><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/10/africa/africa-space-race/index.html">Read more</a> about Africa's journeys into space.

Photos: African innovations that could change the world

Africa's space race – African countries are developing groundbreaking technology for space exploration. Look no further than the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) in South Africa which, once completed, is set to be world's largest telescope. It will allow scientists to look many times deeper into space.

Read more about Africa's journeys into space.

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VR has the potential to change many industries. One example is mining, a profession which has its dangers and risks. In an effort to create a safe yet accurate training environment, a team at the University of Pretoria, South Africa have a created the continent's first <a href="http://www.up.ac.za/media/shared/Legacy/sitefiles/file/44/1026/2163/8121/innovate8/2829africas_first_virtual_reality_mine_design_centrebyjaninesmit.pdf" target="_blank">VR mine</a>. The center allows students and mining staff to train in a simulated mining environment. African filmmakers are also making forays into VR experimentation. Examples of recent releases are<a href="http://www.thisisthenest.com/ltbaw-2017" target="_blank"> Let This Be A Warning</a> and <a href="https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/other-dakar-2017" target="_blank">The Other Dakar. </a>

Photos: African innovations that could change the world

Virtual Reality – VR has the potential to change many industries. One example is mining, a profession which has its dangers and risks. In an effort to create a safe yet accurate training environment, a team at the University of Pretoria, South Africa have a created the continent's first VR mine. The center allows students and mining staff to train in a simulated mining environment. African filmmakers are also making forays into VR experimentation. Examples of recent releases are Let This Be A Warning and The Other Dakar.

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