A team of three young creative thinkers, aptly named the Eye Owl Tech, from the French South African Schneider Electric Education Centre (F’SASEC), based at VUT, walked away with prize money to the value of R7 500. 

The students, in teams of up to three members each, were given an hour and a half to assemble their low-tech lighting solution using natural, recycled, used or new components. 

^{Watch how the Low-tech lamp that uses gravity was made}

Eye Owl Tech presented and showcased a working prototype of an LED-light called the Flip-Lamp. 

The easy to use Flip-Lamp utilises gravity to pull a sand bottle with a pulley system inside a PVC pipe conducting electricity from an old microwave motor to fire up the LED light. 

Their innovative low-tech light solution cost the team close to nothing as 99% of the materials used to produce the Flip Lamp came from reusing products that were thrown away – including wires, LEDs, plastic bottles, nails, tape, straws, foil, sandpaper and parts from a microwave that had been discarded. 

The Isibani High tech and the Edisons walked away with prize money to the value of R4 500 and R3 000 as second and third placed winners respectively. 

“As such, Schneider Electric South Africa values partnerships with institutions of learning - including the University of Johannesburg, Sedibeng College, College of Cape Town, Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the VUT as sources of talent that will ensure innovations in energy provisions and management serve to achieve the goal of ensuring that Life is On. Our inclusion of the VUT in this low-tech innovation competition is quite significant because they are the only university in South Africa that has a science and technology park and we expect great innovations that will benefit the wider community. This opportunity will enable the winning students to potentially see their lighting solution going beyond prototype to possible commercialisation,” said Ernie Smith, Schneider Electric South Africa Vice President of Partner Business. 

After being awarded the coveted prize, an ecstatic Luvo Dubula – one of the winning students said: “We are delighted to have been given this opportunity to participate in this low-tech innovation competition. It has been very difficult because some of my team members (Clayton Martins and Lafras Magabe) were writing exams – but, because as young thinkers, we believe that the education and knowledge acquired at VUT should make a difference in our communities.” 

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