Few weeks ago, the Internet was buzzing with photos of what was tagged the 'Nepaless Iron'. It was very intriguing, and today we bring you the inventor - a Nigerian based in the USA.
The 'Nepaless Iron' also known as the ‘Iron Rhino’ has been invented by a Nigerian Engineer, Ayokunle Adeniran. A graduate of Covenant University, who works as a mechanical design engineer in the United States. The Iron Rhino is a gas powered device which is portable and easy to use. In a chat with BellaNaija, Ayokunle, talks about the inspiration behind the invention, and how soon we should expect to see the product on our shelves.
What do you do?
Presently, I’m a Mechanical design engineer in United states. I’m experienced in design of elevator components and recently moved towards consumer products.
Tell us about the Iron Rhino
The Iron Rhino is a product I designed in response to the inability of people to iron their clothes due to electrical power outages. It is a butane gas powered pressing iron, meaning it does not require electricity to function. It looks very similar to and functions like existing electric irons. The butane comes in canisters that retail for about N120 and can last for 1 week usage at 20 minutes daily ironing.
What inspired you to create the Iron Rhino?
My inspiration came from disappointment. One day, I needed to meet up with my dad at the airport, and the clothing I wanted to wear was rumpled, I was unhappy and had to wear something else. This disappointment brought about the spark of creativity in my head so I decided to proceed with the idea of having an alternative source of powering clothes iron
How long did it take for you to complete the first prototype?
It took about 2 years to complete the first prototype during which the patent had to be filed and the processing took about 4 years.
How user friendly would you say the Iron Rhino is?
Rhino is very user friendly because the design was built around user ergonomics, while safety was not compromised. The iron functions at most habitable environmental conditions making it very reliable.
The Iron Rhino is going to be powered by little gas canisters. Can you tell us about the accessibility of these canisters to the consumer?
The canisters presently are being manufactured by a Chinese company, but provisions are being made to have them produced locally by a Nigerian company. The projected production rate is calculated to serve all functioning irons abundantly, also a recycling process of the canisters will mean users can get discounts on recycled canisters.
Are the canisters going to be locally produced?
Yes, eventually in future.
Do you have an idea of how much each Iron Rhino will retail at?
With the present low volume production rate, it is projected to retail for N5,000 per piece, but in future with higher production rate, prices will drop based on economies of scale.
What’s the most exciting part of this project so far?
The most exciting part of this project is the reception it got from people. I’d like to appreciate all those who shared the posts and created awareness of it.
So what is the next step for the Iron Rhino now?
The next step is fund raising through
rsvp.com.ng for #IronRhino mass production. With mass production, the retail prices will be lower and will be affordable for most people.