12A technology fanatic said his baby brother’s behaviour helped him to make an electronic money box.
A Grade 10 pupil from Maphutha Secondary School in Phomolong, Emanuel Langa, builds electrical gadgets using recycled parts.
The Kaalfontein Ext2 resident’s latest projects includes an electrical money box and an elevator.
Emanuel’s money box only takes notes.
“When you put the money in the slot, it senses it and the motor starts pulling it in. You cannot roll it back out because it was built to promote saving,” he said.
The box has different lights, showing different activities.
“One light shows that there is power. The other switches on when the money is detected in the slot and the other is to show that the motor is on. The box is made of planks from old kitchen cupboards. When you put coins in it will not react. This is because when I designed it, I wanted to promote meaningful savings. Saving notes will yield results quicker,” he said.
Emanuel said the idea of an electrical money box was created out of the behaviour of his baby brother.
“He did not treat coins as money. When I kept my coins, he would take them and throw them away. I had to devise another way of saving money – something he would recognise. I started drawing it. I did not believe it would work until I started collecting the materials,” he said.
He said the elevator was a school project.
“We were asked to make something that would help the elderly move from one floor of the mall to another without a problem. My classmates came up with different things but I wanted something different,” he said.
His elevator uses two cellular phone batteries, one motor, wires, electrical cords, an old toy car’s motor and old cardboard boxes.
“I multiply the voltage so that I get enough power to move the lift. I do not add the batteries’ power,” he said.
Emanuel said he comes from a technologically-influenced home.
“My grandfather use to fix radios. My father is the one who introduced me to technology. He taught me to connect two batteries to one device. Both of them never had any formal electrical training. My father is the best of the pair. He is a boiler maker by profession,” Emanuel said.
He said he was nine when started to rebuild different devices.
This year his teachers advised him to choose financial subjects instead of technology subjects.
“They thought I would do better on the business side. I will not stop doing my technology projects. I believed I was born with technology as my talent. Maybe one day I will have a company in the technology industry,” he said.
Emanuel said young people should study as much as they can.
“Education is the key. A talent without education is nothing. No matter how talented you are, you will need education in the future,” said Emanuel.
