Trees of Knowledge – An Innovative Solution Making Education More Accessible

Technology has drastically influenced the educational sector by providing new ways to learn and access academic resources. Specifically, with a good proportion of the world’s population owning a smartphone and the increasing use of wireless technology, learning has become easier and more accessible.

However, despite the availability of affordable smartphones, most rural areas in Africa lack access to the internet, which has posed some challenges to education accessibility.

William Sachiti, a Zimbabwean AI expert and CEO of the UK-based startup, Academy of Robotics, has found an innovative solution to this challenge. In his recently published white paper, he explained how strategically positioned trees and other rural landmarks could be converted to educational hubs.

This innovation is known as Trees of Knowledge, and it uses a microcomputer molded into a tree or landmark to broadcast an open wireless signal with preloaded educational video content. Anyone with a Wi-Fi-enabled smartphone in close proximity can access the content for free.

The Tree of Knowledge is meant to substitute or support teachers and schools, particularly in education-deprived areas of Africa and make education more accessible.