EcoFactor: Human energy powered water pump for rural areas.
A recent WHO survey found that about 4,500 children die each day due to the lack of clean drinkable water. Some children, mainly girls, are not even able to attend school, just because they have to travel up to six miles each day to get enough water to support their family’s daily requirement.
A concept design by Gumwook Nam can make things better for the people residing in these rural areas. The concept water pump that Nam calls the Human Pump is a 12-meter-wide boardwalk, which is to be placed in areas of heavy foot traffic. As children and adults come there to play or simply walk around, kinetic energy is generated, which is then stored either mechanically or electrically to finally power a pump that brings water to the surface. The design is also efficient, as the energy generated from a single step is enough to pump up 1 liter of water. So the more the movement, the more is the water pumped.
The Dark Side:
The technology, like all other human powered energy generators, looks too futuristic. Moreover, installing a 12-meter-long boardwalk does not seem to be a feasible solution in areas already dominated by concrete.
Via: Inhabitat
