New ideas to spread what we consider basic to the less advantaged.
1. Gravity-Suspended Lamp
Kerosene lamps, widely used in developing countries, present dangers such as severe burns, eye infections and cataracts, and deadly fumes - inhaling kerosene fumes is the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, causing more than 1.5 million premature deaths among African women and children each year, according to the World Bank. The cost of fuel can swallow 10- to 20 percent of people’s incomes in developing countries. A single kerosene lamp used for four hours every day emits 100 kg of carbon dioxide per year. The GravityLight, a low-cost ambient light, could become a new standard light source in areas not connected to the electric grid. It works by harnessing the energy in low levels of gravity. Two bags filled with dirt or rocks weigh down the light. The tension generates enough kinetic energy to power the light for 28 minutes. GravityLights hit the market in 2015 and will cost US$10.
2. Dumbphone Hardware, Smartphone Software
Smartphones are not widespread in developing countries. FrontlineSMSCloud allows users of older-model phones to send and receive SMS messages and data from anywhere in the world. The open-source software enables instant communication by connecting software installed on a computer to a mobile phone. Even with limited service, Frontline modules have been used to build systems that keep patient records at hospitals, and to connect people after natural disasters.
3. Mosquito Death Ray
Although insecticides and bed nets are effective at reducing malaria transmission, more sophisticated technology might have the power to zap it entirely. The malaria parasite is transmitted through mosquitos, so limiting the insects’ contact with humans is crucial to stopping the spread of the deadly disease. The Photonic Fence, developed by Intellectual Ventures, creates a force field that kills mosquitos carrying the parasite before they can bite humans. The fences can protect large areas when set around the perimeter of villages, buildings, schools, and fields. The technology is still in the early stages; Intellectual Ventures is working on adapting it for implementation, although it won’t be available commercially.
4. Khan Academy for Farmers
Knowledge sharing might be the key to bridging the gap between farmers and their peers in places such as India and the rest of South Asia. Outsiders are often not trusted for agricultural advice, so Digital Green came up with a platform for farmers to create and upload informational videos for information exchange about best practices. By partnering with local NGOs, Digital Green distributes battery-operated cameras and pico projectors to farmers. They shoot their own videos and share them with other farmers. The response has been positive among both those making and those watching the videos, according to founder Rikin Gandhi.
5. Exposing Counterfeit Drugs
Nearly 2,000 people die annually from substandard or bogus medicines - a US$700 billion-a-year market. Using mobile technology, mPedigree detects fake drugs by allowing users to text a 12-digit code printed on the back of prescription labels to a designated phone number. Patients receive a response verifying whether or not the medication is fake, benefiting both consumers and manufacturers. The free-to-use mPedrigree system ensures that security codes cannot be duplicated and is available in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and India.
6. Spinning Electronics Into Gold
Only 13 percent of the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, electronic waste, is recycled. This causes particularly grim effects in places like Guiyu, China, that receive much of this waste: More than 88 percent of the population there suffers from neurological or physiological orders linked to materials in e-waste. BlueOak Resources, a Bay Area–based start-up, is trying to help countries such as China mine valuable metals such as gold, silver, and copper from e-scraps. One ton of circuit boards contains from 40 to 800 times the amount of gold that’s in the same amount of mined gold ore, providing communities with income that can be reinvested to fight illegal dumping or for education and medical treatment.
7. Solar-Powered Charging Kiosk on Wheels
The ARED (Africa Renewable Energy Distributor) Mobile Solar Kiosk enables owners of the kiosk to sell mobile phone charges, money transfers, and mobile phone and electronic airtime, powered by renewable energy. Up to 10 people can power up their phones at the same time using the kiosk, which is equipped with photovoltaic panels providing the electricity. Henri Nyakarundi, a native Rwandan now living in Atlanta, invented it; eventually a Wi-Fi hotspot location will be added on.
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