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Wireless Pedal Power Computing in Laos
An anonymous reader writes "'An innovative, pedal powered, wireless network provides Internet access to off-grid villages in Laos,' using LINUX-based software which is being localised into the Lao language.
The 'Jhai Foundation's makes the Jhari computer, which consists of a single-board PC (the MZ-104 based upon the Mach-Z single-chip computer - equivalent to a 133 MHz 486 system), uses "embedded" circuit boards, the sort that are used in industrial equipment, and is devoid of moving parts such as fans or disc drives, made to operate for long periods of time without service or attention.'"
...how much pedaling must be done to power a computer? Admittedly they mentioned they were using low power parts and all, but it seems like you would need to pedal for a while to store up enough charge in the battery to use the computer for even a short while.
I can see other uses for lower power consumption computer devices. The fact of the matter is that computers and their associated equipment suck up a lot of power - people or groups interested in limiting their power usage could utilize these to great benefit. Public schools are always interested in lowering their costs - our local high school, for example, has hundreds of computers running at any given time. The electricity costs to the district as a whole must be astronomical. For basic websurfing and word processing, which is the primary function of most school computers, these would be ideal, and I can imagine that the cost savings in terms of the power bill would quickly pay off the initial investment. *shrug* Just a thought.
Just an american (european) way of thinking that anyone who is not in the US / europe must be living in straw huts and hunt wild animals for a living.
There are actually educated people in the 'third' world (*wow*). The fact that they come up with a method of running PCs without burning fossile fuels is something we should envy. Especially now with a completely flopped 'sustainable world' congres in south AFRICA.
I would love to have one of those spring-powered radios but the fact is our 'first world' society is so fixed on CO2 production we can't get them here.
If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.
Perhaps, it is for that very reason, my friend. Education and ideas are severely limited in poor parts of the world. With such 'poor man' technology remote villages can develope learning programs through 'net resources freely available. And perhaps, if written English in unknown to anyone in the village, on of our resourceful people can write a web page translator from English to "..." remote language. the point is. The sooner poor continents like Africa get wired, the sooner they will take command of their lives from the last vestiges of colonialism. Education can save them from Aids, kick start the economy, and provide people a way they can network against warlords. Who knows? But it is a resource they must have. You have been flamed. The Mayor has spoken.
A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
Oh well - I am in a third-world country (1) . Reading Slashdot. Typing a reply to your troll. Is there something wrong with me? Am I going to go blind?
(1) South Africa - yes we have not technically come up the ranks if you're out of the big cities. Large parts of SA would benifit from portable power that does not require walking 100km to the nearest petrol/diesel/coal/paraffin depot.
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One thing that would be awesome is if there were some form of e-banking available through this sytem. Right now all their "savings" are in Lao kip, which is about as worthless as a third world currency can be. They would be very happy if they could save in dollars.
Some of you may laugh at the idea of using 486s, but I can tell you I saw a lot of Lao hunters out using muzzle loader muskets that must have been 150 years old. If the technology works and it's available, it doesn't matter how outdated it is.