Abstract: Automatic Sign Language Recognition (ASLR) helps with converting hand gestures to spoken language, therefore, enabling communication between those able to hear and those unable to hear. There is abundant research work on ASLR of British Sign Language and American Sign Language. However, Botswana Sign Language has received less attention at least in terms of computational representation leading to automatic sign language recognition which can be attributed to lack of a Botswana ...
Abstract: The explosive growth of biological sequences over the last decade has consequently led to a lot of research on effective techniques for storing and analysing this big data. Generating Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) sequences has become more reliable, faster, easier and cheaper due to latest sequencing technology leading to big data sequences. This poses a challenge to efficient analysis to such massive sequences. Advanced indexing algorithmic techniques are required to facilitate effi...
Abstract: This research presents a new approach in modeling and implementing a framework for linear image change detection using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) based implementations. Detecting changes between digital images of the same location or region of interest have attracted huge interest in research due to its wide range of applications such as medical diagnosis, astronomy and forensics. In recent years, the steady increase in the use of hardware implementation in image pr...
Abstract: Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a promising semiconductor material suitable for the application in electronic and optoelectronic systems. ZnO tailored into nanorods has a potential to be used in photovoltaic cells due to its large surface area to volume ratio that allows for maximum light harvesting and improved electron transportation efficiency. ZnO nanorods that are less compact, thin and long with fewer defects can be used for organic/inorganic solar cells application. In this study ch...
Abstract: This thesis addresses the problem of biometrics security and accuracy through the fusion of fingerprint and face images. The Biometrics community in recent years came up with different approaches to improve the accuracy and security of systems. Multimodal authentication has attracted a lot of attention because of its advantage over single biometrics matchers. Even though efforts were made to improve these systems, they are, however, still vulnerable to security threats such as spoo...
Abstract: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) swarms are not common due to lack of readily available coordinated protocols and applications for synchronizing UAV swarms in outdoor environments. To solve the problem, this study design, implement, and evaluate a leaderfollower Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarm Synchronization Protocol (UAVSSP). Unlike other studies that deal with UAV swarm synchronization, this study introduces the concept of pair correlation and back propagation communication scheme am...
Abstract: This thesis presents a novel sample preparation strategy that employed a custom-synthesized glucose – fructose (G-F) specific molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) powder as an adsorbent for the simultaneous, selective extraction, isolation, pre-concentration of total glucose and fructose from the complex and `dirty` sample matrix of ‘100%’ fruit juices in order to improve their accurate analysis. The ‘100%’ fruit juice samples were purchased from retail shops in Palapye, B...
Abstract: The Moiyabana Coalfield, located ~80 km west of Mahalapye village in the South Eastern Kalahari sub-basin, is one of the potential areas for coal mining in Botswana. This project discusses the petrographic and geochemical results of a detailed investigation carried out on a borehole core of the Moiyabana area, eastern Botswana. Geologically, the Moiyabana coal seams occur in sedimentary rocks of Permian Age and are hosted in the Karoo Supergroup sequence. All coal seams are found w...
Abstract: The use of electronic voting systems (EVS’s) is seen as an alternative to traditional manual voting because it aims at increasing efficiency, lowering cost of running election, reducing counting mistakes and improving the accuracy of the results. This has led to electronic voting systems being adopted in most countries to replace traditional paper-based voting systems. Currently, Botswana uses a traditional paper-based voting system. This method of voting comes with several chall...
Abstract: Malaria is considered the main cause of morbidity and mortality in most countries of the sub- Saharan Africa. Though elimination of the disease is a priority in some African countries such as Botswana, there are bottlenecks that make it difficult to achieve such target. Factors associated with the environment and mosquito-vector capacity for disease transmission have contributions towards challenges affecting disease elimination. These are dynamics which have not been explored in t...
Abstract: A novel multi-templated Cu-Fe-Ni ion imprinted powder was synthesized to demonstrate the selective and simultaneous removal of targeted ions; Cu(II), Fe(II) and Ni(II), employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT) via template (print ions) guided by bulk polymerization method reacting methacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA) as cross linking agent in the presence of the initiator azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN); Cu(II), Fe(II) a...
Abstract: There is presently insufficient information on the atmospheric microbial level in Botswana, the occurrence and diversity of airborne microbes in Botswana is not well understood. In addition, there is also growing concern in the global spread of antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens that continue to emerge and pose a huge challenge to human health. This study, being the first of its kind in the country was aimed at understanding the occurrence, distribution and relative divers...
Abstract: The use of cattle disease diagnosis expert systems has the ability to improve the cattle production as they would help in disease control. Particularly if the system is usable, that is, if it is efficient, effective, satisfying and requires less effort to use. Cattle disease diagnosis expert systems have been adopted in recent years in the cattle production industry particularly in Asian countries like China. However, the usability of these systems still remains a challenge. There...
Abstract: This study focuses on using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to map coal seam and associated structures found within the seams in parts of the Mmamabula Coal Field- central Botswana. The coals of this area belong to the Ecca Group’ s Mmamabula Fm and Mosomane Fm. Several major faults are reported to have affected the Karoo strata in the Mmamabula area. The northern limit of the coalfields is defined by the ENE-trending Zoetfontein Fault which has a downthrow to the no...
Abstract: This thesis focuses on biological shielding calculations for a 10 MeV Rhodotron electron beam accelerator operating in dual mode to produce a 10 MeV primary electron beam and 7.5 MeV secondary X-rays, generated by hitting an optimized tantalum-73 (73Ta) target with the primary electron beam. The first part of this thesis describes the Rhodotron electron accelerator and its oper ating principle. A model is presented for the transverse optics of a TT-100 Rhodotron accelerator. Potent...