Makerspace
16:15 - 17:15
English
Workshop
Everyone
Tech for Good
#ASKotec - the mobile makerspace in a box

Short thesis

The #ASKotec is a kit designed to work as a mobile trainers set to tackle basic field challenges when it comes to Open Tech and Open Source Hardware innovation, education and repairing wherever needed. Providing »Access to Skills and Knowledge« the multi-functional »Open Tech Emergency Case« gives rural and urban innovators new possibilites - from basic tools and materials to product development as well as up-cycling old materials to new #open innovations...anywhere.

Description

#ASKotec; the 'Access to to Skills and Knowledge Open Tech Emergency Case' is a makerspace in a box, or in other words a resource kit for community trainers, created for mobile field-use where there is neither easy power nor internet connectivity such as refugee camps, low-infrastructure regions or rural areas. Intended as ‘Open Tech for Good’, #ASKotec was created through a series of hub development workshops by a community of young South Sudanese innovators intended on bringing skills training and peacebuilding together

Each #ASKotec contains over 50 items including electronics, connection hardware, solar elements; soldering, cutting, measuring and specialised mechanical tools; arduinos, sensors, LEDs, related modules; the "HyracBox" - a Raspberry Pi loaded with selected tech- and health-related Open Educational Resources (accessible offline); manuals and user developed 'how-to' guides, a compact Linux computer with customized open source software package.

The kit can be used in IDPs in South Sudan or any other crisis ridden region of the world. It has been successfully used to create solar phone chargers, and for upcycling and repairing of any mechanical and technical compartments. In addition, #ASKotec is often being used as a tool for skills training for youth in schools for hands on experience; and could also be used to equip young people, especially school dropouts supplementing vocational trainings.

The #ASKotec can be tailored to suit any target group depending on the training needs and most importantly it uses custom made Open Education Resources (OERs) that can be built onto and used in a diverse range of contexts.

In this workshop, we will present a few case studies of projects that have been successfully implemented using #ASKotec, we shall discuss the challenges faced during the implementation of those projects; we shall have a demo of how it works and a possibility of creating partnerships with those who might be interested in using the #ASKotec.