The test-drive of a student-developed application has commenced at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), according to a statement released on Thursday in Akure by Mr Adegbenro Adebanjo, the Deputy Director of Corporate Communications at the institution.
Following approval from FUTA’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, the library at the university has initiated the pilot test of software designed by a student for access control.
The software, called TouchNut, was developed by a team led by Daniel Adeniyi, a 400 Level student in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Its purpose is to regulate the entry and exit of students into the Albert Ilemobade Library and monitor its activities.
Adeniyi highlighted that the software’s main advantage lies in its user-friendly identification system, which aids the security unit in monitoring library activities.
TouchNut incorporates an intranet server containing students’ information and is equipped with an intranet connection. Adeniyi further emphasised the secure nature of the software application server.
TouchNut offers students the ability to borrow books, relieving library staff of concerns regarding return dates. The software tracks students’ cards and notifies the staff accordingly. This identification software holds value for three key units within the library. Firstly, the security unit benefits from its assistance in checking individuals in and out. Secondly, the circulation unit can create user profiles for students and generate and assign cards. Lastly, the management unit gains complete oversight of all library activities.
The application is planned for deployment in other areas of the campus. Once the test run concludes, steps will be taken to implement the software in other relevant domains, such as campus shuttle transportation.
FUTA aims to support its students in product development, intellectual property registration, and commercialization endeavors.
