MICHAEL BAFFOUR AWUAH · RESEARCH & IMPACT

Robotics, leadership
and service.

At Opoku Ware School in Ghana, I led our robotics team in national and international competitions. My research explored assistive robots for people with disabilities. I also completed about 700 hours of community service and helped raise $15,000 for shelter construction and food support.

Engineering research

Engineering for independence.

Earlier studies in assistive robotics, voice interfaces, and embedded systems.

Research with Professor Amodez Hern

Assistive Robotic Dog

Researched a multipurpose robotic dog intended to help visually impaired and older adults reach preset destinations while avoiding obstacles and traffic.

16 / 537: papers accepted at the workshop
25: research citations

Robotics
Voice commands
Obstacle avoidance

Design & presentation honors

Research titleWalking Robot for Impaired People (Muscle Weakness)

Designed voice command recognition and wake-up alarm features alongside navigation and obstacle avoidance.
The paper was selected among 16 accepted submissions from 537 at the engineering workshop of the Cirrus & AI African Consortium.
Selected as one of five oral presenters for a workshop attended by 1,500+ people.
Earned first place in the presentation competition and the workshop honor named “Nobel Award.”

Presented at Google AI Ghana · West Africa

Voice-Controlled Assistive Vehicle

Researched a robotic vehicle combining speech recognition, ultrasonic obstacle avoidance, and a human–computer interface to support people with disabilities.

1st / 200: submissions in my category
$5,000: grand prize

Speech recognition
Ultrasonic sensing
HCI
GUI

Control system & recognition

Research titleSpeech Recognition Robot with Ultrasonic Obstacle Avoidance System to Support Disabled People

Designed spoken-command control for a person seated in the vehicle.
Included remote operation from a base station using oral commands or a graphical interface when the user could not operate the vehicle directly.
Presented the findings at Google AI Ghana, earning first place among 200 category submissions and the $5,000 grand prize.

Research with Professor Aden Tim

Fingerprint-Based Attendance System

Developed a handheld fingerprint attendance device using an ATmega1284 microcontroller, embedded programming, Python 3, and MySQL.

150,000: paper views on Top AI Writer
ATmega1284: microcontroller

ATmega1284
Python 3
MySQL
Embedded programming

Hardware & publication

Research titleDesign and Implementation of Fingerprint-Based Attendance System

Worked with Professor Aden Tim on hardware architectures, autonomous systems, and control algorithms.
Combined microcontroller hardware and embedded programming with Python 3 and MySQL for attendance data management.
The published research paper received 150,000 views on Top AI Writer.

Industry experience

Learning through practical work.

Hands-on experience across software, computer systems, and technical support.

Oya Ghana · Accra, Ghana

Computer / Software Engineering Intern

Completed an engineering internship with practical experience in software design, development, and testing, alongside computer systems and hardware applications.

10 weeks: engineering internship

Internship contributions

Contributed to designing, developing, and testing computer systems and hardware applications.
Supported installation of Windows, software, and programs.
Gained exposure to software development lifecycle tools and digital marketing.

Technical training

A foundation built with practice.

A fully funded coding scholarship after graduating from Opoku Ware School.

Springboard · Opoku Ware School scholarship

Springboard Coding Bootcamp Scholar

Selected as one of three students from 3,000 for a fully funded $17,000 scholarship. Completed 800 hours of coding training over nine months after high school.

3 / 3,000: students selected
$17,000: full scholarship
800 hours: coding training
9 months: program duration

JavaScript
Python
Web development
APIs
Databases
Algorithms

What I studied

Studied JavaScript, Python, and web development through hands-on coding.
Worked with APIs, databases, data structures, and algorithms.
Learned to collaborate with generative AI through an AI learning unit focused on coding workflows.

Robotics leadership

Building with a team.

School leadership, technical research, and competition experience at Opoku Ware School.

Opoku Ware School Robotics Tech Club · Ghana

President, Head Researcher & Spokesperson

Led the club’s technical work and represented the team in local, regional, national, and world robotics competitions. Built, designed, and programmed AI robots using digital fabrication tools.

8 / 9: robotics competitions won
5,000: teams at the world championship

AI robotics
3D printing
Laser fabrication
MATLAB
Simulink

Leadership & competition experience

Led the completion of club assignments and used 3D printers and laser equipment for manufacturing.
Participated in local competitions involving 500+ students, regional competitions with 58 schools, and national competitions with 150 schools.
Represented the only Ghanaian school at the world championship, competing against and defeating schools from Pakistan, India, China, Europe, and the United States.
Led the team to wins in eight of nine robotics competitions.
Led algorithm development for brushless dual-electrical ports (BLDD) using MATLAB and Simulink.

Community service

Showing up beyond engineering.

Service, fundraising, and youth outreach across Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Bronze, Silver & Gold award holder

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

Completed the three progressive award levels and approximately 700 hours of community service. Helped raise $15,000 for shelter construction and food support.

≈700: community service hours
$15,000: raised through collective fundraising
22: youth outreach events

Awards & community contributions

Earned medals at the Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels and received an annual Millennium Award.
Participated in the UK-founded international award program, described in my activity record as reaching 300,000 participants across 144 countries.
Helped raise $15,000 through fundraising and NGO support, contributing to a homeless shelter in Danase, Kumasi, Ghana, and food donations for free meal kitchens.
Participated in 22 youth outreach events in Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, distributing snacks, gift cards, and parish pamphlets at nursing homes, junior school campuses, and homeless shelters.

THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY

Where to next?

THE BUILDS