Hybrid Living

As we Ecogeeks ogle our ever-expanding supply of fancy gadgets and even fancier chargers it’s hard to imagine a life without these lux comforts.  How could I run 3 miles without my Ipod to distract me?  Do you really expect me to write a blog post with a pencil? We get so wrapped up in our technology that we overlook the technological needs of the rest of the world.  Isn’t it fortunate then that Freeplay Energy’s charitable wing the Freeplay Foundation attempts to bring communication and light to the 1.6 billion people in the world today without electricity?  The Freeplay Foundation’s mission is to help vulnerable people transform their lives with “sustainable, self-sufficient and environmentally friendly technologies.”

The lack of access to energy is closely linked to poverty.  Without the ability to turn on lights or communicate individuals and families are at the mercy of unseen weather systems, outbreaks of disease, and limited resources.  The Freeplay Foundation’s website explains the problems of limited technology more clearly: 

A farmer listens to the radio for news of the incoming cyclone, ready to spread the alarm to her neighbors.

A child, orphaned by conflict and caretaker of his younger brothers, is soothed by voices on the radio as they fall asleep at a refugee camp.

With safe, renewable lighting, a midwife assists a nighttime birth with no fear of fumes from hazardous kerosene or firewood.

With a bright LED light, a girl studies after sundown, when her long day of chores has finally come to an end. 

Freeplay took on the challenge of bringing communication and education to billions by developing the Lifeline Radio.  It’s charged by either a human powered crank or solar power and can last 24 hours on one charge.  The radio connects people in remote villages to an information network which offers: classes, weather forecasts, political news, etc. The radio’s speakers allow up to 40 people to assemble and hear the programming at one time. Over 160,000 radios have been distributed since 2003 serving an estimated 6 million.

Perhaps the impact of Freeplay’s clean technologies can best be seen by the individual cases they discuss on their website.  For example: the remote refugee camps of northeast Kenya are home to more than 100,000 Somali women who have fled their country after years of civil war.  These women have had little or no education and face early or forced marriages, female genital mutilation and high levels of gender violence.  Working with other humanitarian organizations Freeplay has distributed the Lifeline Radios to groups of women who gather together and listen to news and educational programs that affect their lives.  The radios give these women freedom to communicate with the outside world, and start them on the road to self-empowerment.

Freeplay is currently developing a LED light, which will use the same wind up and solar powered charging technologies as the radio.  This clean technology has the potential to assist billions of people by giving them extra time to work, find necessities, or study.  To learn more visit www.freeplayfoundation.org.

As we Ecogeeks ogle our ever-expanding supply of fancy gadgets and even fancier chargers it’s hard to imagine a life without these lux comforts. How could I run 3 miles without my Ipod to distract me? Do you really expect me to write a blog post with a pencil? We get so wrapped up in our technology that we overlook the technological needs of the rest of the world. Isn’t it fortunate then that Freeplay Energy’s charitable wing the Freeplay Foundation attempts to bring communication and light to the 1.6 billion people in the world today without electricity? The Freeplay Foundation’s mission is to help vulnerable people transform their lives with “sustainable, self-sufficient and environmentally friendly technologies.”

The lack of access to energy is closely linked to poverty. Without the ability to turn on lights or communicate individuals and families are at the mercy of unseen weather systems, outbreaks of disease, and limited resources. The Freeplay Foundation’s website explains the problems of limited technology more clearly:

A farmer listens to the radio for news of the incoming cyclone, ready to spread the alarm to her neighbors.

A child, orphaned by conflict and caretaker of his younger brothers, is soothed by voices on the radio as they fall asleep at a refugee camp.

With safe, renewable lighting, a midwife assists a nighttime birth with no fear of fumes from hazardous kerosene or firewood.

With a bright LED light, a girl studies after sundown, when her long day of chores has finally come to an end.

Freeplay took on the challenge of bringing communication and education to billions by developing the Lifeline Radio. It’s charged by either a human powered crank or solar power and can last 24 hours on one charge. The radio connects people in remote villages to an information network which offers: classes, weather forecasts, political news, etc. The radio’s speakers allow up to 40 people to assemble and hear the programming at one time. Over 160,000 radios have been distributed since 2003 serving an estimated 6 million.

Perhaps the impact of Freeplay’s clean technologies can best be seen by the individual cases they discuss on their website. For example: the remote refugee camps of northeast Kenya are home to more than 100,000 Somali women who have fled their country after years of civil war. These women have had little or no education and face early or forced marriages, female genital mutilation and high levels of gender violence. Working with other humanitarian organizations Freeplay has distributed the Lifeline Radios to groups of women who gather together and listen to news and educational programs that affect their lives. The radios give these women freedom to communicate with the outside world, and start them on the road to self-empowerment.

Freeplay is currently developing a LED light, which will use the same wind up and solar powered charging technologies as the radio. This clean technology has the potential to assist billions of people by giving them extra time to work, find necessities, or study. To learn more visit www.freeplayfoundation.org.

Imagine a six-inch spy plane that sends back visual and chemical data in real time, runs on vibrations as well as sun and wind power – and looks like a bat! Thanks to a five-year $10-million grant from the Army the University of Michigan College of Engineering will be making this Batman wet dream a reality. The renewable robot will be developed at U-M’s newly created Center for Objective Microelectronics and Biomimetic Advanced Technology a mouthful also appropriately known as COM-BAT. The University of Michigan will work with the University of California at Berkley as well as the University of New Mexico to create different aspects of the technology.

Miniaturizing the various systems of “the bat” and making them more energy efficient are big challenges for the groups working on COM-BAT. The tiny plane must be able to collect large amounts of surveillance data and travel great distances while running on 1 W of power. But COM-BAT is ambitious and they fully anticipate being able to shrink all the systems. For example “They expect their autonomous navigation system, which would allow the robot to direct its own movements, to be 1,000 times smaller and more energy efficient than systems being used now.”

The potential applications of this condensed technology are virtually limitless, "Throughout this research, we expect to make technological breakthroughs and have a much wider range of applications for other types of engineering problems, from medical to industrial," Kamal Sarabandi, the COM-BAT director and a professor in the U-M Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Elizabeth Redmond, 23, dreams of working at MIT’s Media Lab, one of the United States’ top scientific research and development centers. However, she has invented something that should make MIT and every other “think tank” in the country dream of her.

Elizabeth invented the POWERleap, a simple idea with brilliant applications. It’s a flooring system that generates electricity every time you move on one of the tiles. Elizabeth developed the POWERleap as her senior thesis project at the University of Michigan’s School of Art and Design. She wanted to design a project that would educate people about their relationship and dependence on energy. Human bodies generate electricity, about 100 watts at rest, which (according to www.elizabethredmond.net) is enough to power the computer I am writing on.

Elizabeth set out to harness our bodies’ energy to power small objects. But when she realized that walking was our most abundant and consistent activity, and the energy harnessed from it could power something much bigger than an iPod, the design for the POWERleap tiles was born.

Redmond’s unique floor tiles generate electricity using a phenomenon known as piezoelectricity – electricity generated by applying mechanical stress to certain materials like the lead zirconate plates in the POWERleap. When these 2-inch by 1-inch piezoceramic plates are bent, a charge is produced that can be harnessed. Multiply one tile by the surface area of a subway station or even your standard grocery store floor, and you can imagine the amount of energy these tiles have the potential to generate.

In a few years Elizabeth hopes people will be able to pull the POWERleap off the shelves of Home Depot and install it to power their homes. More importantly if we generate our own electricity it should change the way we consume, appreciate and utilize electric power. During our cell phone conversation, Elizabeth pointed out another beneficial feature of the technology. "Imagine a business powered by the people who move around inside it. When the people leave for the day the lights and power would automatically shut down."

Elizabeth expects the next stage of development and research to yield "an electromechanical system that is safe, efficient, easy to install, repair, and apply, and fun to participate with." She currently seeks funding for the next stage of the POWERleap’s development. Since the applications of this technology are endless and the end of the oil age is fast approaching, let’s hope she does not have trouble finding eager investors.

Elizabeth Redmond, 23, dreams of working at MIT’s Media Lab, one of the United States’ top scientific research and development centers. However, she has invented something that should make MIT and every other “think tank” in the country dream of her.

Elizabeth invented the POWERleap, a simple idea with brilliant applications. It’s a flooring system that generates electricity every time you move on one of the tiles. Elizabeth developed the POWERleap as her senior thesis project at the University of Michigan’s School of Art and Design. She wanted to design a project that would educate people about their relationship and dependence on energy. Human bodies generate electricity, about 100 watts at rest, which (according to www.elizabethredmond.net) is enough to power the computer I am writing on.

Elizabeth set out to harness our bodies’ energy to power small objects. But when she realized that walking was our most abundant and consistent activity, and the energy harnessed from it could power something much bigger than an iPod, the design for the POWERleap tiles was born.

Redmond’s unique floor tiles generate electricity using a phenomenon known as piezoelectricity – electricity generated by applying mechanical stress to certain materials like the lead zirconate plates in the POWERleap. When these 2-inch by 1-inch piezoceramic plates are bent, a charge is produced that can be harnessed. Multiply one tile by the surface area of a subway station or even your standard grocery store floor, and you can imagine the amount of energy these tiles have the potential to generate.

In a few years Elizabeth hopes people will be able to pull the POWERleap off the shelves of Home Depot and install it to power their homes. More importantly if we generate our own electricity it should change the way we consume, appreciate and utilize electric power. During our cell phone conversation, Elizabeth pointed out another beneficial feature of the technology. "Imagine a business powered by the people who move around inside it. When the people leave for the day the lights and power would automatically shut down."

Elizabeth expects the next stage of development and research to yield "an electromechanical system that is safe, efficient, easy to install, repair, and apply, and fun to participate with." She currently seeks funding for the next stage of the POWERleap’s development. Since the applications of this technology are endless and the end of the oil age is fast approaching, let’s hope she does not have trouble finding eager investors.

Father’s Day is June 15th and if you haven’t gotten a gift yet it’s time to start scrambling.  Here are a few suggestions for those of you who would like to make Dad and the planet happy. 

If you have a Dad who hasn’t jumped onto the Inconvenient Truth bandwagon yet try a new approach by giving him: Go Green Live Rich: 50 Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich Trying) by financial guru and best selling author David Bach. Bach outlines 50 ways to align environmental values with monetary success like getting a green audit, driving smart (hint: fuel efficiency) and investing in emerging eco companies.   

Even better, for a gadget dad, give him a chance to read on a paperless book reader. Sony and Amazon are currently battling this one out, and you can take advantages with low prices on both the Kindle and the Sony Reader. The Sony Reader is more stylish, but the Kindle lets you buy and download books directly to the device, while Sony’s book buying system is a bit more cumbersome to use.

No one likes the current gas prices and everyone could use more exercise, so why not help your father with both by hooking him up with a foldable bicycle?  He will never again worry whether his bike will fit in the car, subway, garage, or corner of his office. The Slingshot Foldtech is a high performance mountain bike that will run you about $800.  The design will leave him speechless and that’s before he finds out it can fold. For more folding bikes, check out this story.

Does your Dad’s cell phone constantly die?  Can he not figure out how to charge his Ipod? Help him. The Solio solar charger is pocket sized, can fit a number of small electric devices, and stores energy up to one year. Solio will even gift wrap the charger in 100% recycled, post-consumer paper for a small fee. 

If your father is of the paranoid variety or a survivalist a la Bear Grylls from “Man vs. Wild” then the Lifesaver Bottle should be your gift of choice. The bottle, “removes bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and all other microbiological waterborne pathogens without using chemicals like iodine or chlorine.” For how it works you’ve got to go to the website.  The cross section of the bottle looks like a diagram of the space shuttle so I’m not even going to attempt an explanation. He’ll never have to buy bottled water again!