The Wheels of Innovation: Sri Lanka’s First Mobile Computer Lab (1985)

 

In the mid-1980s, while much of the world was only just beginning to grasp the potential of the personal computer, a unique experiment was taking place on the roads of Sri Lanka.

Rewinding to 1985! 🕰️ This was the birth of the Mobile Computer Lab concept in Sri Lanka—a collaboration between CINTEC, the British Council, and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

The Mobile Computer Lab was a visionary project born from a collaboration between CINTEC, the British Council, and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. At its heart was a Japanese-made Mitsubishi Fuso Rosa passenger van, generously donated by the Petroleum Corporation. However, this was no ordinary transport vehicle. We removed the passenger seats to make way for a fully networked digital classroom—the first of its kind in the country.

The University of Colombo’s Digital Signature

While the hardware—ten BBC Model B microcomputers—was provided by the British Council, the "soul" of the project was homegrown. All the educational software running on those machines was developed by our team at the University of Colombo.

Looking at the monitors in this restored photograph, you can see the distinctive "Mode 7" interface of the BBC Micro. The menu we designed was simple but comprehensive, categorised into:

• Primary Education

• Secondary Education

• Higher Education

• General Awareness Programs

A Mission of Awareness

Our mission was clear: to demystify the "electronic brain" for the public. The bus travelled from school to school and exhibition to exhibition, providing many Sri Lankans with their very first hands-on experience with a keyboard and a CRT monitor. It was an era of Econet networking and 5.25-inch floppy disks, where "computer awareness" was a rare and precious skill.

This project proved that geographic distance didn't have to be a barrier to digital literacy. It remains a proud chapter in the history of computing at the University of Colombo and a testament to what can be achieved through local innovation and international cooperation.