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The first Innovate or Die Pedal Powered Machine contest challenged inventors to build machines that use human power to generate energy for useful purposes. A panel of judges evaluted 102 entries for environmental impact and design. The grand prize winner was the Aqueduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle, submitted by five California-based design students, Adam Mack, Brian Mason, John Lai, Paul Silberschatz, and Eleanor Morgan.
The Aquaduct is pedal powered vehicle that transports, filters, and stores water for the developing world. A peristaltic pump attached to the pedal crank draws water from a large tank, through a carbon filter, to a smaller clean tank. The clean tank is removable and closed for contamination-free home storage and use. A clutch engages and disengages the drive belt from the pedal crank, enabling the rider to filter the water while traveling or while stationary.
The Grand Prize came with a $5,000 award and bicycles from the sponsors. Now let’s see if a manufacturer wants to take up the challenge of mass-producing these for the Third World countries who need them -THAT will be an even bigger challenge!
You can see the other finalists and entries at Innovate or Die.
Comments (5)
Comment
- Follow mental_floss
Didn’t Gilligan and the Professor come up with this idea?
posted by Mr. Dynomite on 1-21-2008 at 3:01 pm
Yup. Season 1, episode 14 – Pedal-driven bamboo water wheel.
posted by Rajesh on 1-21-2008 at 4:50 pm
What a wonderful idea! I love to see inventions that really have a purpose. It helps transport the water, helps purify it, and responds to the basic human needs for safe water while taking environmental impact into account.
posted by Anonymoose on 1-21-2008 at 7:29 pm
Suggestion: the BOGO model. Buy one give one. I live in an American rural area where the water goes out more than rarely. And this is such a neat little bike!
posted by DBarr on 3-9-2008 at 6:24 pm
i would like to know if the AQUADUCT is for sale. if so where can i buy or order one? DBarr has a good idea. if you truly want to get these vehicles into the hands of people in 3rd world countries you may want to consider sending someone to IOWA, USA this year to join in RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). this is an annual event that gets bigger every year. last year more than 20,000 people participated in the week-long event. this event takes place in July. think of the publicity you would receive simply by showing up and showing off your invention. if you offered a buy-one-give-one special i believe that you would be utterly amazed at the response you would receive!
if the price was not too high i would happily buy one for myself and also buy at least one more to send to someone in a 3rd world country.
your idea is genius! PLEASE!!! DO NOT LET THIS INVENTION DIE!
even without the buy-1-give-1, I would like to buy one of these for my personal use. i also live in a rural area & the water i am currently using comes from a well less than 100 yards from a polluted river. i cannot drink the water from my well. I NEED THIS VEHICLE! i do not drive a motor vehicle. i ride my bicycle or my pedal car everywhere i go. i am not rich but i will buy one if the price is not too insane.
if anyone involved in the creation of this miracle reads this message… PLEASE email me and let me know how i can get an AQUADUCT.
have-a-loving-day!
freebirdplanetlover@yahoo.com
lesfreebirdsbooks@juno.com
posted by freebird on 5-2-2008 at 11:43 pm