Gravitylight, light at no cost

[Matata]

Brilliant and illuminating idea.
https://gravitylight.org/

 

[telephone89]

I saw this on FB - SO COOL!

 

[minousbijoux]

Thank you for sharing. Such an elegant solution.

 

[OoohShiny]

That reminds me of the excellent wind-up radio idea

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30634138

 

[Karl_K]

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-article-gravity-light.216755/

 

[Karl_K]

A buddy of mine 3d printed/fabricated a similar setup for his shed.
He opens the door and it lifts a weight that then drops slowly turning a flywheel(bicycle wheel) and a generator. It provides much more light(20+ high power leds) than that system and runs for over an 1 hour until it hits 1/2 brightness thanks to some super capacitors.

 

[arkieb1]

So who replaces the tiny globes when they blow up and it only runs for 20 mins at a time. That is a start but is no means a complete solution, I would imagine that some of the new solar projects although more expensive would be more sustainable in developing countries.

Something like this for example is just over twice the price BUT it runs for 12 hours and takes 8 to charge;

https://www.theverge.com/2015/1/7/7482949/mpowerd-luci-solar-lantern-kerosene-alternative-ces-2015

Or donate something like one of these;

https://luminaid.com/pages/give-light-get-light