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The Enugu-based inventor aims to study engineering and said his motivation to build robots was influenced by watching inventions on television at the age of six.
“When I was about six years old, I was watching TV when I saw many inventions, such as aeroplanes, cars, and robots. So, I asked someone about the people who invented those things, and I was told they were white people. I then said to myself that I wanted to be like them,”Sochima told Punch during an interview in 2023.
“That was how I started building cars, planes, and robots with cartons and other recycled materials. As I grew older, I began to learn more about manufacturing.”Just like many innovators from humble backgrounds in Nigeria, Sochima has struggled to practice his craft due to a lack of funds and platforms to express himself, but he has not been deterred; rather, it served as the propelling factor for him to use recycling materials to carry out his projects.
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“I ensure I only get clean recycled material from a yet-to-be-disposed waste bin. I also meet with people and shop owners that I know deal with the kind of materials I need to get them for my project,”he said. Some of his inventions include a talking robot (personal assistant), a Boston Dynamic AI robot, an AI armoured vehicle, and more. All his inventions were made from recycled materials. The story of Sochima Emmanuel is interesting because it takes him just three weeks to one month to build a robot. One can only imagine how fast he would invent bigger things if given the right materials or resources.
“When I built the talking robot (personal assistant), I did not use any technology, programming, or language. I just used a panel that I got from an MP3 device. I inserted it in the robot and connected it to my phone,”he says to prove that inventions are a natural talent for him.
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Sochima Emmanuel is proof that despite the challenges that come with the everyday life of being a Nigerian, citizens can defy the odds and make something great for themselves.
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