[Peripherals] Alternitive Power for Developing Countries

[info at olpc-peru.info]

Here you can see that the spinning wheels can be manufactured very 
basically with different tools and forms.  But the idea keeps the same: 
move the foot, this move the pedal that moves the big wheel.  The cord 
(belt) will transfer the movement to the "rotor" (or smaller wheel, or 
pulley or to another set of "big wheel + small wheel") that will move 
the "alternator" and it will generate electricity.




Caryl Bigenho wrote:
> Hello Javier Rodriguez and, all the other folks on the peripherals list,
>
> After seeing the creative things Arjun Sarwal is doing with cow-power 
> in India, I started thinking of other possibilities. I remembered my 
> grandmother's old treadle sewing machine and how excited she was to 
> have it electrified.  Later, I saw many being used 35 years ago in 
> regions in the Yucatan where there was no electricity.
>
> Here is a link to a picture of what they look like.  It is the one on 
> the left.
>
> http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade%2DLiterature/Sewing%2DMachines/
>
> Many of these machines still exist.  i see them at estate auctions 
> every summer in Montana.  There must be thousands throughout the 
> world.  I have twice tried bidding on just the treadle mechanism of 
> one on ebay. I lost out on the bidding for both, but have hopes of 
> finding one in Montana this summer.
>
> When I get one, I intend to try to set it up as a combination 
> desk/power source to run an XO.  If it works and doesn't cost too much 
> to set up, it might be something that could be replicated all over the 
> world where these old machines still exist...some probably still being 
> used without electricity.
>
> Javier, have you seen any of these machines in rural Peru?  Are they 
> still being used to sew?  Would there be a need to try to design it to 
> continue to be used as a sewing machine but to generate power at the 
> same time?
>
> It might also be possible to manufacture a similar mechanism, at a 
> modest cost.  But, the idea of recycling the old ones has a lot of 
> appeal. I was also wondering if an old automobile generator could be 
> adapted to work with it.  Perhaps it would require too much torque to 
> work.
>
> It may be just a crazy idea, but if cow-power works, maybe this will 
> too. If and when I do this project, I will probably need some advice 
> from you folks.  Any suggestions for starters?
>
> Caryl
>
> BTW, Could AJ's Cow-power generator be adapted to run on Llama power?  
> How about donkey power?  Goat power?
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