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The purpose of Appropriate Technology (AT) is to elevate the living standards of people in developing nations without condescension, unnecessary complexity, or harm to the environment. These innovations tend to be more labor-intensive, utilize fewer resources, and incorporate affordable or easily accessible materials whenever possible. A strong focus is placed on the social, cultural, and ethical considerations of the communities they serve. Here are 10 inventions that follow these principles, offering innovation that rivals the best from Silicon Valley. Additionally, you'll find links to charitable organizations distributing these technologies at little or no cost, should you wish to support their efforts.
10. One Laptop Per Child
While the developing world may be lagging behind in terms of resources, it's far from being behind when it comes to technology. The ‘One Laptop Per Child’ project seeks to change that. The mission is to develop a durable, low-cost, low-energy computer designed specifically for children in the developing world. The XO laptop, roughly the size of a small textbook, features built-in wireless and a screen readable in direct sunlight (ideal for outdoor schooling). It’s built to be tough, energy-efficient, and has a child-friendly design to prevent resale on the black market—when you bring it to a boardroom, everyone will know who’s not using it. XO laptops have already been distributed in Afghanistan and East Africa, with more shipments planned for the Palestinian Occupied Territories. More information
9. Solar Powered Lightbulb
Though it may be hard to imagine, a significant portion of the world still lives in darkness. The Nokero N100 solar-powered light bulb is set to change that. This innovative device harnesses electricity from sunlight—one of the few resources abundant in rural India, Africa, and much of the developing world. Designed with these regions in mind, the LED bulb can provide four hours of light when fully charged. While it may not seem like much, consider the amount of scarce wood fuel it replaces. The N100 is made from impact-resistant plastic and features four solar panels, five LEDs, and replaceable NiMH batteries that last up to two years. The full unit costs $15 but could drop to as low as $6 in bulk. More information
8. Concrete Canvas Shelters
UK company Concrete Canvas understands that temporary refugee camps often fail to provide adequate protection from the elements, highlighting the need for a more durable solution utilizing local resources. Their innovation, Concrete Canvas, offers a groundbreaking material for quickly deployable, sturdy shelters that only require the product itself, water, and air to construct. To assemble, simply inflate the air bladder to create temporary scaffolding, lay the Concrete Canvas over it, and pour fresh or even saltwater onto the canvas. After 24 hours of drying, remove the bladder, and you'll have a reliable (25 or 54 sqm) shelter that can endure up to 10 years. It’s waterproof and fireproof. Two people with no prior training can construct the smaller CCS25 version in just one day. More information
7. Universal Nut Sheller
Before Jock Brandis introduced the Universal Nut Sheller, the task of growing and harvesting peanuts in Africa was a labor-intensive job primarily carried out by women and children. Brandis’ simple hand-powered machine, which can shell 50 kilograms (110 lbs) of sun-dried peanuts per hour, has now made nut farming in Africa a feasible enterprise. The sheller is constructed with under $50 in common materials, has a lifespan of 25 years, and one device can serve a village of up to 2,000 people. No wonder it earned the 2006 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough award. The Full Belly Project, based in North Carolina, USA, is working to create businesses that manufacture and distribute the Universal Nut Sheller, as it has the potential to quadruple farmers’ incomes and promote sustainable nut farming, which combats erosion and replenishes nitrogen in the soil. Feedback from the field indicates success with shea nuts in Uganda, although users in Ghana have reported issues with the size of the peanut shells produced. More information
6. Pot-In-Pot Refrigerator
In 2001, Nigerian innovator Mohammed Bah Abba was awarded the Rolex Awards for Enterprise for his creation of a simple refrigeration system to preserve food in rural areas without electricity. His invention, the Pot-in-Pot refrigerator, uses the principle of evaporative cooling. The system consists of a smaller clay pot placed inside a larger one, with sand kept moist between the two. The evaporation process cools the inner pot. Reports indicate that eggplants can remain fresh for up to 27 days, nine times longer than usual. Tomatoes and peppers can last up to 21 days (a feat I can’t even manage in my own fridge!). More information
5. Bike Powered Water Pump
UK engineering student John Leary knows his 'Gilligan’s Island,' and the world may be better off for it. Tasked with creating a product using only waste materials, he designed a bike-powered water pump for irrigation and water distribution in Guatemala. The NGO Maya Pedal discovered the invention and helped with distribution, as their goal is to improve the quality of life for locals without relying on costly and unreliable fossil fuel-powered machines. The device works by attaching the rear wheel of a bicycle to a friction drive linked to an electric pump. The back tire engages the motor’s armature, and the system operates with human muscle power. The pump can move 40 liters of water per minute, and locals appreciate its portability (once the work is done, just flip the frame upside down and place the pump on the back wheel to ride to the next well). The pump is now in regular production in Guatemala. More information
4. Free Wheelchair Mission
While wheelchairs have existed for some time, none were as affordable as what Don Schoendorfer and his wife Laurie developed after witnessing a disabled Moroccan woman dragging herself across a busy street. Understanding that cost was the main barrier, they set out to create a wheelchair that anyone could afford. The result was the FWM wheelchair, made using readily available materials and parts already in high production. This efficient design allows for a manufacturing cost of just $59.20. Produced in China for maximum cost-effectiveness, the wheelchairs are packed in bulk into 40-foot ocean containers and shipped directly to the destination country. As of now, 481,655 wheelchairs have been delivered to 77 countries, all free of charge to the recipients. More information
3. Lifestraw
In 2009, roughly 5,000 people died daily due to unsafe drinking water, a figure down from 6,000 in 2007, thanks in part to the impact of Vestergaard Frandsen’s Lifestraw. The Lifestraw is a personal, low-cost water purifier with a service life of 700 liters, which is about a year's worth of water for one person. Unlike other water purification devices, it is simple to use, can be worn around the neck, and doesn’t require any training, special tools, or electricity. The user simply sucks water through the straw, which filters out 99.999% of waterborne bacteria (like Salmonella, Shigella, Enterococcus, and Staphylococcus) and 98.7% of waterborne viruses. The Lifestraw has garnered numerous awards, including Time Magazine’s “Best Invention of 2005”, “Europe’s Best Innovation” by Reader’s Digest, and “Innovation of the Year” by Esquire. More information
2. Rocket Stove
The Rocket Stove is an ultra-efficient heating device created by the Aprovecho Research Center to cut down on biomass fuel consumption in developing nations. This innovative stove design merges the air-intake and fuel-feed openings into a combustion chamber, which then connects to a chimney and heat exchanger. Rocket Stoves are now widely used across countries like Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. The stoves are easy to construct with locally available materials and are capable of burning small-diameter fuel like twigs and branches. The heat is focused on a small area, significantly reducing the amount of wood needed for cooking and boiling water. In 2009, Aprovecho received the Ashden International Energy Champion Award for its Rocket Stove technology. More information
1. Hippo Roller Water Project
In certain African villages, collecting clean water can consume an entire day, often falling on the shoulders of women and children. The Hippo Roller offers an ingenious solution to this, replacing the traditional method of carrying 5-gallon barrels on heads. This tool, resembling a barrel with a handle, is rolled along the ground like a steamroller’s drum and holds up to 90 liters (24 gallons) of water. This design increases productivity by nearly five times. Over the past 15 years, the Hippo Roller Water Project has distributed more than 30,000 rollers, benefiting over 200,000 people. More information
+ Corn Sheller
Designing products for developing nations presents a unique challenge, as inventors often create technologies for cultures with which they are unfamiliar. This lack of insight into daily life and local values can complicate the design process, making it difficult to know if an invention is truly needed or would be useful. Take the example of Compatible Technology International, which visited Guatemala and saw women manually shelling corn. Observing how laborious this task was, the engineers quickly crafted a corn sheller from a simple piece of wood with a hole in the center. The women could now push the ears of corn through the hole, quickly removing the kernels. Though the engineers thought they were doing a great service by donating their devices, they were surprised to learn months later that the women preferred the slower, traditional method. When asked, the women explained that the time spent shelling corn was their opportunity to talk about their families, education, and men, and the new device made their work too fast, robbing them of this valuable social time. (On a side note, Thomas Edison had a similar experience when he tried to sell a vote counter to the U.S. Congress, though their conversations were likely more about bribes and war than 'men, school, and kids.') More information
