Tag Archives: electronic waste
3D Printer Made from Computer Scrap May Have Promise on Mars
Recycled 3D Printer is Made in Africa from Electronic Waste
Afate Gnikou wants the world to know the brand “Made in Africa” and he is using 3D printing to achieve that dream. Gnikou designed and built his own desktop 3D printer using parts from old scanners and discarded computers.
“My dream is to give young people hope and to show that Africa, too, has its place on the global market when it comes to technology. We are able to create things,” he said in an interview with Euronews.
The 3D printer is called W.AFATE.
The inventor of the recycled 3D printer lives in Togo, a country with 6 million people.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is all too common in Africa, with over 500 tons of computer scrap sent to Africa each year. As this waste is burned, harmful chemicals are added to the local environment and impact the health of the community.
See these below infographics for more details on the electronic waste problem in Africa.
Gnikou’s recycled 3D printer only cost $100 to build, making it one of the least expensive 3D printers in the world.
Related: Peachy 3D Printing Sells for $100 on Kickstarter
The W.AFATE 3D printer is profiled in the video below.
Already, the 3D printer is helping educate kids about science and technology.
The inventor also has bigger aspirations for his recycled 3D printer, to build habitats on Mars.
He submitted his idea called W.AFATE on Mars to the International Space Apps Challenge. His proposal is to send payloads of electronic waste to Mars, where it can be used to build 3D printers and habitats for humans, reducing the waste footprint in Africa. Watch the video below to learn more.
Visit this site to learn more about W.AFATE.
