Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal. I grew up between the city and my village, Diofior, about 150 kilometres away.
What inspired you about science and this specific discipline?
I interacted with science from a very early age because my father is a computer scientist. When I was young,he would听to take me to his office听where听he allowed me to听mess around 鈥斕齞raw,听write,听print听and play 鈥� on听the computers.听He听also听had access to the听latest听technology听gadgets, which were at my disposal,听as听long听as I wasn鈥檛 destroying them, of course!听As a result, I chose听to study听computer science at university.听
My mathematics teacher in secondary school influenced my interest in mathematics and sciences because he taught us with patience and passion.
How did your early path in science progress?
I obtained a听BSc听in computer engineering听in 2013 at Universit茅 de Thi猫s, Senegal. I then proceeded to theUniversity Cheikh Anta Diop still in Dakar,听for an听MSc in Distributed Information Systems,听which I听obtained in 2015.
I worked on a distributed architecture of Voice over IP (VoIP), which are听networks听that听do听not听rely heavily听on centralized server nodes听to听facilitate communication.听For my听MSc听thesis, I worked on real-time storage techniques for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN).听
I consider my greatest achievement听to be a听two-year听tenure听as an engineer of telecommunications networks and services听in听the听Department of听Information Services听at Thi猫s听University in Senegal.听Our听mission was to set up a distributed authentication system for the听university. It was a very听challenging project that we managed brilliantly.
What is the focus of your PhD research?
In 2018, I commenced my PhD studies through the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), registered at the听University Gaston Berger in Senegal. My research focus is on听the听Internet听of Things听(IoT)听and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as听applied to agriculture and farming.听I am听assessing听energy efficiency within听irrigation networks听and clean energy within听solar-powered听systems.听
The aim is to develop an听automated irrigation system听that听will compute听the听right amount of water for overall crop growth,听ensuring that听only听the required amounts of听water听are听supplied to听the plants. The听goal is to听propose a solution听that will听optimize and automate the irrigation paradigm in听the听Niayes听area听in north-western Senegal.
Niayes has exceptionally favourable climate for farming and represents a natural base of agricultural production in Senegal. However, the region is experiencing increasing salt intrusion and destruction of the strip of Casuarina trees [that help prevent erosion], caused by speculation and irregular sale of land.
So far,听I听have been听able to establish a mathematical model of reliability and accessibility based on energy efficiency. I听also听have an Internet of Things testbed and听several听projects are being built from it听for novel publications, in the context of our research focus.听
How does your research contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals?
My research has a cross-cutting impact on several SDGs. The听need to regulate and optimize听water resources, as well as the move to more sustainable farming systems听is听a shared concern in many developing countries and across the globe.听This research will contribute much-needed knowledge towards this goal.
What are the broader implications of your听research?
The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the importance of IoT beyond the traditional focus of听industrial applications. More human-centric听applications听of IoT听have听emerged, for example, in making visible the web of human connections as a critical part of the track and trace strategy to monitor and contain the spread of the virus.听
Although our research focuses on agriculture, we are also assessing IoT in a more generic format, with extensive potential for broad transfer of the applications that we will develop.听
Overall, this study provides strong evidence of the听transformative potential of听the听Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)听in Africa听and the need for the continent to invest heavily in the necessary infrastructure, capacity and policies.
