Genius - battery free light for Africa.

[Arch]

Saw this over on YACF:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/12/deciwatt_gravity_light/

The lamp is powered by a weight pulled up in seconds and allowed to descend over half an hour. No battery, no solar panel, no fossil fuel.

Apparently some stately homes used to have a weight driven generator to power the house, but it seems the idea has been lost for a while, confined to grandfather clocks.

My thought was that they could sell them here on a buy one, donate one basis (Like TOMS shoes). I'd buy one...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Excellent! That's the closest to green lighting I've seen.

 

[Over The Hill]

I love inventors who want to do something rather than make their fortune with their idea.
Looks a good idea and great for a garage or shed with no power in uk. Lovely touch to use the bag as the weight.

confined to grandfather clocks
...and cuckoo clocks!

 

[Arch]

I love inventors who want to do something rather than make their fortune with their idea.
Looks a good idea and great for a garage or shed with no power in uk. Lovely touch to use the bag as the weight.

confined to grandfather clocks
...and cuckoo clocks!

I was thinking it would be good for a bathroom! I don't need much light to use the loo, or even to shower, and half an hour would do fine.

Yes, also cuckoo clocks. My Godmother has a house full of clocks, including a cuckoo, and they're all slightly out of kilter so that the chimes clash. My Mum swears that one sleepless night, she heard them all strike 13.

 

[colly]

I was thinking it would be good for a bathroom! I don't need much light to use the loo, or even to shower, and half an hour would do fine.

Yes, also cuckoo clocks. My Godmother has a house full of clocks, including a cuckoo, and they're all slightly out of kilter so that the chimes clash. My Mum swears that one sleepless night, she heard them all strike 13.

I have a pal who sells long case clocks. His house is full of them. 12 noon and midnight are difficult to ignore.

 

[redcard]

I love inventors who want to do something rather than make their fortune with their idea.

I'm pretty sure part of the plan is to make a fortune. We just don't talk about that part.