The ideas have been developed or promoted by young people trained at the Center for Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation (CETI) in Portoviejo.
Observe how the immersive virtual reality in the world of videogames gave him the idea of applying this technological resource in the architecture to Jorge Luis Holguín. With this, it solves the problem that most people have of calculating and mentally imagining the spaces of a house or building that is only in plans.
Through a software and with the help of 3D glasses a person can take an immersive tour inside a house. You can see textures of floors and walls, distribution of spaces. Plus, you can ask for changes to even paint color, all at the same time.
“When we develop architectural projects, people ask us, for example, if the bedroom is large or small. We answer that it is 3×3, but most do not have the spatial vision to understand the measure. With immersive virtual reality we forget to tell people to imagine space, because they are going to see it”Says Holguín.
In the past month of December the tests with people began to be able to adjust details of the technology. However, the Holguín architecture company already has two clients who have opted for the use of this resource for their projects.
This idea was accelerated in the Center for Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation (CETI) of the Municipality of Portoviejo, in Manabí. In these facilities Holguín received training and tests of his idea were also developed. “This will be the future of architecture,” he says.
Another of the ideas that have been developed at CETI is a smart pet food dispenser called Smart Feeder. One of its developers is Everson Sierra. The device can be programmed from an application to serve food (seeds) to the animal as many times as the owner wishes.
Sierra says that, when he was conducting training sessions at CETI, a problem was investigated that can be solved through technology. “We found that 63% of households in Ecuador have a pet and that 50% of them live in apartments. When they go on trips or work outside all day, pet owners should find someone to take care of their animals and feed them. This can cost up to $ 30 per day. So the dispenser avoids that expense”, dice.
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In the application data such as the weight of the pet are entered and based on that it calculates how much food should be given. The dispenser works through the Wi-Fi network, but it can also be programmed directly to avoid problems if you do not have this type of network or if the power is cut off. Between June or July they would already have devices for sale at a cost of $ 100 and would enter to compete with other dispensers of foreign brands that are already on the market, but that have a value of more than $ 150.
Meanwhile, Cynthia Gorozabel developed, also with the help of CETI, a hydraulic press to help small cocoa farmers, especially in Manabí, since this province is the third in harvests of this product nationwide.
“To make good powdered chocolate, you have to get the butter out of the cocoa, and that’s where the idea of the press came from. The interesting thing is that the machine can be produced in the country and the import of expensive technology is avoided. In addition, the machines that are imported are industrial and are to produce high quantities of products, and this complicates small producers or entrepreneurs”, dice.
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The press will be tested in the community of San Plácido, which already has structured cocoa production to refine details and improve its characteristics. It is capable of processing 281 liters per month and has a cost of less than $ 1,000.
That Ecuadorian ventures are leveraged in new technologies is a great step for their projects to be successful in the long term, says Max Núñez, Director of Innovation and Competitiveness of the Municipality of Portoviejo. This is why the council has opted for the creation of CETI and provide training in this regard.
Although Ecuador has one of the highest entrepreneurship rates in the region, it also has high failure rates for these types of businesses. Núñez indicates that this occurs because the majority of ventures are “emergency”, they are not planned for the long term and technology is not used.
“Projects, such as immersive virtual reality, are ideas that can be applied even outside the canton or exported to other countries. Since November 2020, it has opted to give young people the tools to undertake. The first process seeks to train young people in tools for technology-focused entrepreneurship. There are four certifications you can get”, he says.
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Then they also begin to test the solution of a problem that they have chosen in the first phase, but in a technical way. From here comes a prototype with expert support. In the third phase, a business model is worked on to end up with a minimum viable product.
Since its inception in 2020, CETI has had 424 people trained and 107 projects were developed that will be supported to generate their first sales.
“It is not closed to only student projects entering, for example, but there may be entrepreneurs who have an idea and that through technology or an innovative process added value is generated,” says Núñez.
What is interesting about CETI is that it works in conjunction with universities, especially with the Tecnica de Manabí and San Gregorio, and other incubators and accelerators in the city of Portoviejo. The investment for the structuring of the CETI amounted to $ 144,000 by the Portovejense council. This item is 56% of the investment, the rest was provided by the Edúcate Foundation through an agreement.
For this year it is planned to build a CETI in the rural parishes of Alajuela and Pueblo Nuevo. “We are going to support rural areas so that rural entrepreneurs can apply technology, the use of drones”Adds Núñez. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
