Fresh water is something that a lot of people completely take for granted. But without this simple but precious commodity life cannot exist. This necessity is the subject of design for the Aquaduct, the winner of the Innovate or Die Pedal Powered Machine Contest contest. The contest topic was the creation of the most creative and efficient bicycle powered energy saving invention.
The Aquaduct uses the bicycle pedal movement to not only move the bike, but also to drive a pump than runs a filter system. The ideal is that the bike is used to retrieve water in its built in tank, and upon arrival the water has been filtered and ready for consumption. This saves the requirement of having to boil the water in order to make it safe, and in some places the fuel for the fire is hard to find. In the case that more water is required than was filtered on the trip, the bike allows in place pedaling for filtering more water.
The machine is primarily developed for emerging countries where water retrieval is an ongoing effort, but its uses could go well beyond that category. And in some places it could help maintain life and the quality of living, something that definitely spells a successful invention.
Aloha from the Beach
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