In the remote village of Bagh in Abbottabad, Pakistan, 20-year-old Ehsan Zafar Abbasi, a pre-engineering student, caught the attention of his community with an amazing invention. Known for his passion for science and electronics, Abbasi configured his family car to drive like a self-driving vehicle using a computer keyboard.
Abbasi got the idea for driving a car with a keyboard from his childhood love for video games like GTA: Vice City and Need for Speed. “At that time, we rarely had electricity,” he recalled. “So, whenever we had power, we would immediately play those games.”
He thought if a car could be controlled by a keyboard in a game, why not in real life? With limited internet access in his village, Abbasi learned about electronics and mechanical items by experimenting in a small room under the stairs in his house.
“I built a lab where I performed my experiments,” Abbasi said. Supported by his family, who brought him scrap electronics from the second-hand market, he dismantled many devices, including mobile phones, tablets, printers, scanners, computers, projectors, and juicer machines. His relentless pursuit of knowledge led to several unique creations.
After spending over seven months perfecting his keyboard-driven car, Abbasi aimed to add sensors and modern technology to make it accessible for people with disabilities. “I wanted to add sensors and modern technology to the car so that people with disabilities could also fulfill their wish to drive and become independent,” he added.
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The self-driving car was not Abbasi’s only invention. A year ago, he developed an anti-theft device for cars that used cellphone technology. This device, equipped with a SIM card, allowed the car owner to stop the vehicle by making a call. The device also enabled real-time monitoring of conversations among carjackers.
Abbasi dreamed of establishing a multinational automotive company like Tesla in Pakistan. He also aspired to study at a prestigious university abroad, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. However, financial constraints and inadequate English-language skills posed significant challenges.
“Obviously, I could not afford it, nor did I possess adequate English-language skills,” he lamented. “I studied in ill-equipped public schools where we did not have electricity, internet, and other modern facilities. We used to walk for two hours to go to school and two hours on our way back.”
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Despite these challenges, Abbasi remained determined and hopeful. He called upon the Pakistani government and its leaders to support his quest for quality higher education. “I requested the Pakistani government, our prime minister, and the president to support me in getting quality higher education so I could add to the prestige of my country,” he said with a deep yearning in his eyes.
