Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle
Sprinklers, hot showers, slip-n-slides. In the United States it’s easy to take our seemingly unlimited access to water for granted. But over a billion people worldwide lack even the most basic access to clean drinking water, with an estimated 5,000 children per day dying from water-related diseases. Now a group of inventors from the US hopes to reduce these alarming statistics by putting a new spin on an old toy, the tricycle.
The Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle is a pedal-powered filtration system that allows users to haul up to 20 gallons of water (the minimum amount of water required for a family of four to survive) and filter it as they ride.
In developing nations people often have to walk up to three miles to access clean water. Then they have to clean the water, which means using resources to start a fire. The Aquaduct will not only help them haul more water in less trips, it also frees up resources to be used elsewhere.
From Gizmag:
Once at the water source the rider fills the large tank and replaces the cap (which not only prevents spillage but also helps to avoid contamination that occurs from storing water in open containers). As the rider pedals, the peristaltic pump pulls the water from the large tank, through the filter and into the clean water tank on the front of the bike. By the time the person arrives home they then easily detach the tank from the bike and take the clean water inside ready for drinking and cooking. When more water is required the rider returns to the bike and flips the clutch to disengage the pedals from the wheels. Then, by pedaling the bike which is now stationary, the front water tank fills up again with another two gallons of clean drinking water.
The Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle won Grand Prize in the “Innovate or Die” Pedal-Powered Machine Contest sponsored by Google and bike maker Specialized.
[Via: GizMag]
