Emmanuel OduorA young Nigerian inventor has set a new Guinness World Record for creating the smallest GPS tracking device prototype.
Oluwatobi Oyinlola’s GPS tracker measures 22.93 mm x 11.92 mm and is almost the size of a mobile phone sim card. It has been hailed as a huge step in the trend of manufacturing smaller electronic products and devices.
“Oluwatobi believes in pushing the boundaries of what's possible, especially when it comes to miniaturizing technology,” the Guinness World Records (GWR) said in a statement.
The inventor is a researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. He was born and raised in the Nigerian south-western city of Ibadan.
A life-saving technology
Global Positioning System (GPS) is a technology that enables users to track and monitor locations through devices that have been fitted with receivers.
The versatility of GPS technology has made it an essential tool in modern life, transforming industries and improving lives.
In transportation, GPS is widely used in vehicle systems, providing turn-by-turn directions and estimated arrival times. It's also crucial in aviation, improving safety and efficiency, and in maritime, helping ships navigate through busy ports and open seas.
Beyond transportation, GPS is used in fitness tracking, allowing individuals to monitor their runs, hikes, and other outdoor activities, while precision agriculture, GPS enables farmers to optimise crop yields and reduce waste.
Also crucially, it plays a vital role in emergency services, helping responders locate people in need. It's also essential in surveying and mapping, creating accurate maps and tracking environmental changes.
‘Endless possibilities’
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has praised the invention by Oyinlola as having “endless possibilities for use in various industries and spheres of life.’’
President Tinubu also expressed optimism on the potential of Nigerians.
“Congratulations, Oluwatobi, on this feat. You have just shown the world that Nigerian youth can!,” he said in a post on X platform.
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, hailed the young inventor as an ‘‘extraordinary potential within our ecosystem’’ as he restated the government commitment to the development of science and technology.
World record frenzy
"Oluwatobi’s success reinforces our mission to nurture and invest in local talent. As we empower more young innovators to break barriers and lead in cutting-edge technologies, we secure Nigeria’s rightful place on the global innovation map," the minister said in a post on X platform.
Saidu Abdulrahman undertook the challenge to raise awareness of photography in Nigeria.
Nigeria has in recent years been on the grips of a frenzy that has seen people setting some kind of world record.
These include Guinness World Records (GWR) for the most head shot photographs taken in a single hour, the longest football videogame and most skips on foot among others.
