This is a great use of innovation. it is also a great problem statement that could be a step toward helping this village obtain a more successful use of their spent energy, for a lot of people who are not of great wealth and are forced to be active, counting calories takes on a whole new meaning. If there is only so much food a week you have to make sure that you are spending those calories as wisely as possibly.

Photos via Women of Uganda Network

Here is a great example of two things: ingenuity and resourcefulness, and why affordable renewable energy chargers are important to develop.

After riding her bicycle 20 miles to get to a location where she could charge her mobile phone, a Ugandan woman was duped - getting her phone returned to her with an old battery that could barely hold a charge instead of her original battery.

But she put her thinking cap on and devised her own solution to her charging woes.

“I looked at what was readily available to me and came up with my own charger. I devised this method to enable me charge my battery every day. It works perfectly.”

What she saw when she looked around was an abundance of D batteries used in her village for flashlights and radios. She bundled 5 together, took the plug off her cell phone charging cord, and touched the wires to the terminals of the batteries to charge up.

While the solution works great for her, it's not so great environmentally speaking in that a whole lot of batteries will get used up and tossed just to charge up a cell phone that can barely hold a charge in the first place.

This is why getting small renewable energy chargers to rural areas is so important. Imagine not only this woman being able to charge up her phone without a hassle, but her whole village being able to ditch the batteries and use the sun to power their flashlights and radios.

Motorola Bike charger

The big news of the day might’ve been that Apple had finally taken the wraps off their iPhone, but the greener gossip was to be found in the Motorola camp. This communications giant was unveiling a more modest gadget, yet of immediate utility to umpteen million folk, in what are termed ‘emerging markets’. Their particular do-dad is a battery charger for mobile phones that is powered simply by riding a bicycle. Motorola’s CEO, Ed Zander rode a bike into his recent keynote speech to highlight the technology. He reckoned it would be of use to the multitudes of people needing communications, but still lacking in grid connected services. "Farmers in Senegal use the phone to monitor crop prices. Health workers in South Africa use their phones to locate records while dealing with patients," he said. And it seems that rural China is a prime market for Motorola, who suggested that in a country with 500 million commuting cyclists, there are also five million new mobile phone subscribers every month. India, Asia and Latin America are in their sights too. ::Motorola. Via Engadget, Textually, and Vancouver Sun.

Moto's Bike-Powered Phone Charger

By Adam Frucci, 1:00 PM on Fri Jan 26 2007, 2,900 views (Edit, to draft, Slurp)

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This is for those of you out there who like to combine outdoor sports with your love of gadgets. Yes, both of you. Listen up.

Just hook this up to your bike to make sure you don't run out of juice on those long rides by getting your phone recharged via your sweaty pedaling. It would be cool if this could charge other things too, like GPS navigators, digital cameras, or portable music players. This was designed with countries who don't have ready access to electricity in mind, so the more devices it can adapt to the better, don't you think. –Adam Frucci

BBC News.

Pedal power for Kenya's mobiles

It takes an hour of pedalling to charge a phone completely

Two Kenyan students are hoping to market a device that allows bicycle riders to charge their mobile phones.

Jeremiah Murimi, 24, and Pascal Katana, 22, said they wanted their dynamo-powered "smart charger" to help people without electricity in rural areas.

"We both come from villages and we know the problems," Mr Murimi told the BBC.

People have to travel great distances to shops where they are charged $2 a time to power their phone, usually from a car battery or solar panel.

"The device is so small you can put it in your pocket with your phone while you are on your bike," said Mr Murimi.

It is estimated that some 17.5 million people out of Kenya's 38.5 million population own a mobile handset - up from 200,000 in 2000.

We took most of [the] items from a junk yard Pascal Katana Young Malawian invents wind generator

Although similar devices already exist in other countries, they are not available in Kenya.

The two electrical engineering students from Nairobi University have been working on their own invention, which they are selling for 350 Kenyan shillings ($4.50) each, over the last few months during their university break.

In Kenya, bicycles are sold with a dynamo to be attached to the back wheel to power the lights.

The dynamo lead can be switched to plug into the charger instead, they explained.

Mr Katana explained it takes an hour of pedalling to fully charge a phone, about the same time it would if it were plugged into the mains electricity.

The BBC's Ruth Nesoba says after a short ride, the phone's battery display indicated that it was charging.

Guinea pigs

The cash-strapped students used old bits of electronic equipment for the project.

"We took most of [the] items from a junk yard - using bits from spoilt radios and spoilt televisions," said Mr Katana.

The dynamo is attached to the back wheel

Workers with bicycles at the campus were used as guinea pigs, including security guard David Nyangoro.

"I use a bicycle especially when I'm at home in the rural areas, where we travel a lot," he said.

"It's very expensive nowadays charging a phone. With the new charger I hope it will be more economical, as once you have bought it, things will be easier for you and no more expenses."

Mr Murimi says so far they have only made two chargers - but are making five more for people who have seen it demonstrated.

"And a non-government organisation in western Kenya wants 15 so they can test them out in rural areas to see how popular they prove," he said.

The two friends are about to start their fifth and final year at university in September.

"We are not planning to stop our studies," Mr Murimi said.

Kenya's National Council for Science and Technology has backed the project, and the students hope they will find a way of mass-producing the chargers.

Bike charger @ Geek Technique.

http://geektechnique.org/projectlab/511


There is not much else to say, but this is amazing I truly feel like its just a matter of time before things like this are on every bicycle. This site carries the great spirit of DIY. His instructions are simple and I can't wait to try this one. Please let me know if you have tried it and had any problems. I also love the fact that it is so direct and and can be fit to any bike. That is definitely a detail that I will be sharing in my final Thesis Design.

Ped Power Phone Charger.

This is a great example of a design for American use.



http://www.gizmag.com/pedalpower-bicycle-charger/12451/

In bygone days, a bicycle dynamo struggled to generate enough energy to power a weak headlight for the lonely cyclist riding home on a dark night. Back then it was the only electronic application that a cyclist needed because dynamos were first invented when riders still made calls from public telephone booths or stopped to read a map for directions. But a new bicycle dynamo system called PedalPower+ can help recharge the arsenal of battery-powered accessories modern cyclists’ rely on for communications, navigation and entertainment - on the fly.

Devices like GPS units, mobile phones, digital cameras, MP3 players and mobile phones require 5V up to 600mA, DC input to recharge them. And if you’re out on the road when they go flat, generally it’s been too bad. Until now.

“Our range of products gives you a complete recharging system by generating energy while riding your bike and using that energy to recharge your devices while on your journey," said PedalPower+ managing director and the product’s inventor, Nicholas Kidd. "The excess energy that is generated by cycling can be collected and stored to charge devices at the end of the day after a long ride."

Kidd said he came up with the idea for PedalPower+ after much discussion and brainstorming.

“Originally, I had an interest in energy and saw some hand dynamo torches which looked a bit painful. Through brainstorming we came up with the bicycle idea to collect the energy, and then thought about applying it to the bicycle market, thinking about what could riders do if their phones and GPS units went flat,” he said.

Interview with Global Cycle Solutions

Hi Jesse,

I am Caroline Hane-Weijman, one of the team members working with GCS. I am an undergraduate mechanical engineer here at MIT with great interest in entrepreneurship in the developing world.

We all appreciated your email to us- it's always exciting to get feedback from others with the same intentions and interests as us. I answered your questions below but would gladly set up a phone interview with you if you have further questions.

Tell me a little about the decision to start Global Cycle Solutions?

Jodie initially went to Tanzania summer of 2008 in hope of bringing affordable, simple, and accessible technology to those living on those living on less than a dollar a day. The target group was small-acreage farmers and as the staple crop in Tanzania is corn, she focused on using bicycles as a means to increase efficiency for shelling corn. Our technology was created through her collaboration with some of the locals. The decision to start Global Cycle Solutions grew not only from the wonderful positive feedback from end-users but also from the business model that the locals themselves initiated. They took the bicycle and the adapted corn sheller and cycled around to multiple farmers in the area, providing the pedal-power corn sheller as a service and thereby creating revenue enough to pay for the corn sheller within a week! Thereafter, she returned to MIT, recruited us to help set up a business model for GCS and further develop the technology.

Paul Polak writes in his 12 steps for practical problem solving that number one is to go where the action is, how do you choose where to impliment your products?

We've chosen our initial markets that are conducive to our first line of products- the sheller and grinder- (Mexico and Tanzania both have corn as a staple crop) These are also two locations where we have a lot of contacts and a broad network to work with. There are multiple other countries that we see ourselves in the near future but in the beginning, as this is our first summer truly launching, we need to focus on specific markets.

Whats coming up for GCS, what are the next steps?

There are a lot of things happening right now. To summarize broadly: We currently have three members on location right now. We are trying to set up distributors, market ourselves, possibly partner with a bicycle organization, finalize our prototype of our product, and collaborate with micro-finance institutions to help with the initial capital investment.

I would suggest going to our blog and reading about our updates from the field- I think that would be more useful for a better idea of the progress we are making: http://globalcyclesolutions.blogspot.com/

Any advice for someone like me working on similar projects?

I would suggest a few things;

-Regarding the implementation of your product- Direct sales is very difficult and limiting, especially in Africa, if you do not have a large sales force. Try to create a business model that relies on distributors or partner with an organization with an existing infrastructure (NGOs have been very interested in working with these types of projects). You will be able to reach more people and minimize overhead costs. Furthermore, it will benefit locals on multiple levels- providing income generating possibilities and creating a more sustainable model for the community. Don't only provide locals with the end technology; provide them with knowledge and skills.

-Recruit a good team with the necessary skills to help you

-Stay focused- start small and grow big. Easy to get distracted by too many offers and too many possibilities. Know your capabilities and limits.

-Don't be discouraged!! Things will seem impossible and overwhelming, but be resilient if you believe in what you are doing.

- Don't hesitate to contact people for whatever you need

- Stay organized- record contacts, possible partners, press, accomplishments, documents etc. Things can happen very quickly and its useful to keep documents of "catchy pitches", summaries, information brochures etc and with all the people you meet that may prove to be useful in the future.

- Take advantage of the Green movement at the moment- a lot of investor events focus on green tech.

Hope this was helpful for you,

Don't hesitate to to ask for more information if you need. As mentioned, our blog has more updated information than our website- so feel free to follow our progress and stories in the future. Best of luck with your projects and thesis.

Best,

Caroline

Charles Eames

"The extent to which you have a design style is the extent that you have a design problem."

The Art of Innovation

This book is essential reading for anyone who deals with complex problem solving.


Tom Kelley is general manager of IDEO, the world’s leading design consultancy specializating in innovation and product development. Working together with his brother, IDEO founder David Kelley, he has helped manage the firm as it has grown from 20 designers to a staff of over 350.

During that time, he has been responsible for diverse areas such as business development, marketing, human resources, and operations. Like everyone else at IDEO, he also occasionally gets down on his knees to cut foam core alongside clients and designers as part of the firm’s brainstorming and prototyping efforts.


"Routine is the enemy of innovation," declares Kelley...in this lively and practical guide to nurturing that elusive quality in all organizations. IDEO...has developed a system for staying on the creative cutting edge while keeping clients happy. Kelley handily parses the components of this system...

Publishers Weekly starred review

http://theartofinnovation.com

Global Cycle Solutions

Global Cycle Solutions
"Transforming the bicycle into a vehicle of innovation"

Started by a recent graduate in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, Jodie Wu in 2008, GCS is company devoted to bringing the advantages of using crank power to global developing nations. On their site you can see some of the products that they have produced as well as get a sense of where this dynamic team is going in the future.

http://www.globalcyclesolutions.com/

Human Powered Home.

Its finally out and ready to implement. I have been waiting to find a book like this for a long time now and can't wait to use some of the material not only in creating my Thesis but also for the rest of my life.

Here is the link to the official website.
http://www.thehumanpoweredhome.com/

Deb Todd Wheeler

http://babel.massart.edu/~debtoddwheeler/

Deb Todd Wheeler is a sculptor, inventor, and media artist. Her work concerns technology as a mediator for human interaction with the environment. The central focus of her work in the past few years has been to examine the role of science in relation to our human lives through a lens that encompasses the nineteenth century and cutting edge robotic technologies. Using the vernacular of the 19th century, a time when art and science were more closely linked, she investigates alternative avenues for power that reflect our growing concern with sustainability today. In her most recent exhibit, "Live Experiments in Human Energy Exchange", she experiments with generators and bicycle power to provide electricity, wind, sound and motion.

She is a recipient of a LEF Contemporary Work Fund Artist grant in inter-media, a Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant in Sculpture and Installation, and the Artist Resource Trust Grant. Her studio is in Hyde Park, and she is on the Graduate Faculty of the Art Institute of Boston, and also teaches in the 3D department at Massachusetts College of Art .