Eight socially-minded inventors – all from Africa – will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday, May 9, to compete in the regional finals of the 2019 ASME ISHOW, the only global competition to recognize hardware with a social purpose. Three grand prize winners will be selected for a share of the $30,000 award, in-kind technical support, and a ticket to the ISHOW Bootcamp in New York.

ASME, the global organization for mechanical engineers, will see regional finalists display their socially-driven design prototypes and have five minutes each to pitch to a select panel of judges. The winners will be announced at a reception that evening. The first regional final recently took place in Bengaluru, India, on April 4, while the third is planned for Washington, DC, USA, on June 13.

breastIT (Kampala, Uganda) – breastIT is a portable, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered diagnostic tool for breast anomalies such as cancer. It’s a handheld, pocket-sized ultrasound imaging system that empowers radiologists to make focused assessments and accelerate treatment decisions at the point of care. With real-time cloud processing that offers quick and accurate analysis, radiologists are able to take decisive action, refer patients quickly, optimize the course of treatment, and reduce the overall cost of care in low-resource settings.

E Tuk Tuk “Solar E Cycle” (Nairobi, Kenya) – E Tuk Tuk designs and builds solar-powered electric vehicles for one of the largest markets in the world. The Solar E Cycle is a power generator on wheels with a range of 50 km a day at up to 35 kph made from off-the-shelf parts. It produces 3 kWh per day, which is enough to light a typical Kenyan home and more. The aim is to provide a clean energy mobility and electricity solution to people living in marginalized and underdeveloped regions of Africa.

hearX Group“hearScope” (Pretoria, South Africa) – hearScope is a first-of-its-kind smartphone video-otoscope with integrated, automated ear disease diagnostic capability. The high-quality variable magnification video-otoscope pen connects to a smartphone running the hearScope application. Users are able to easily take images or videos of a person’s eardrum. The recorded media is then uploaded into the mHealth Studio Cloud data management system for automated diagnosis.

Safi Organics (Naivasha, Kenya) – Safi Organics uses technology and proprietary formulas to decentralize and downsize fertilizer production, so that rural smallholder farmers have access to cheaper, locally produced, higher-quality fertilizers. Custom-tailored to the local soil and crop requirements, Safi Organics helps farmers improve their yields by about 30% and net income by about 50%.

Savanna Circuit Tech “MaziwaPlus Pre-Chiller” (Kapenguria, Kenya) – The MaziwaPlus Pre-Chiller is a mobile solar-powered chilling in-transit system that can be mounted on motorbikes, offering quality control, traceability, and maximized profits for dairy producers and cooperatives. The solution was developed in response to milk post-harvest losses due to transportation over great distances in rural Kenya.

SAYeTECH“Multi-crop Thresher “ (Kumasi, Ghana) – SAYeTECH produces multi-crop threshers to reduce grain waste and empower grain farmers. The multi-crop thresher can reduce post-harvest losses by up to 30%, providing enough food to feed Africa’s growing population, while also increasing income of smallholder farmers — especially women — by up to 50% every year.

Sesi Technologies Ltd “GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter” (Kumasi, Ghana) – The GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter is a low-cost grain moisture tester that helps grain farmers reduce post-harvest losses by making it easier to accurately measure grain moisture content before storage. At $100, GrainMate is more than four times cheaper than conventional grain moisture meters and offers superior accuracy.

Solar Freeze (Machakos, Kenya) – Solar Freeze provides access to portable solar-powered cold storage for farmers of perishable agricultural produce (e.g., fish, fruits, and vegetables) to help them reduce the significant challenge of post-harvest food loss in Kenya.