re; Hand crank powered laptop

[LMagic007]

re; Human hand crank powered laptop

Your independent source for news, information, commentary, and discussion of One Laptop Per Child's "$100 laptop" computer, the OLPC Children's Machine XO, developed by MIT Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte.

Freeplay claims that cranking the spur gear transmission driving a 3-phase alternator with 3-phase rectification at 130-140 rpm will yield a nominal 15VDC 1500mA output. In addition, it can be cranked in either direction. Quite an achievement, eh?

One Laptop Per Child News

Nicholas Negroponte, the co-founder of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, detailed specifications for a $100 wind-up powered laptop targeted at children in developing nations.

$100 wind-up laptops for the developing world? - Hardware - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

WIKI

One Laptop per Child - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

AUDIO Story

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/homepage...aptop_edit.mp3

I read somewhere that one minute of cranking would enable the laptops to run for 10 minutes. Great to see hand cranked power extending its horizons.

[forfismum]

Sadly since we last discussed this wonderful laptop in the forum,its future has been jeopardised. M$ have done their best to sabotage the project for obvious reasons but Intel have popped in and out for reasons best known to themselves.This is one [of many] cases where good just has to triumph over evil.As my old siggie used to read "Clean water and education,thats all we need "

[LMagic007]

Originally Posted by forfismum

Sadly since we last discussed this wonderful laptop in the forum,its future has been jeopardised. M$ have done their best to sabotage the project for obvious reasons but Intel have popped in and out for reasons best known to themselves.This is one [of many] cases where good just has to triumph over evil.As my old siggie used to read "Clean water and education,thats all we need "

Indeed whatever may be the case. The post though, was intended in the context of hand cranked human power generation applications, as a General Energy Discussion topic and was not meant to be a moral statement or socio-political commentary.

[geodome]

Trouble with hand cranked power is that they tend to underestimate just how much cranking is necessary to power things. I bought a windup torch that had only three LEDs, work fine for about 6 months then gradually needed more and more winding at twelve months I had to walk along winding it, as the light would only stay on for about 10 seconds.

Anyway back to laptops... $100 isn't much to us but it's a huge amount to someone in the developing world (even if the student doesn't pay anything, someone has to foot the bill) giving stuff away for free never works.

An admirable concept but I think they need to look at exactly what they're trying to achieve and what' the best way to go about it. The current plan seems overly simple:- Education for all = give everyone a cheap laptop. I think this problem requires a more complex solution or at least build them with foot-cranked generators (I use my hands for typing).

[LMagic007]

Yes I have a hand cranked torch with 3 LEDs and It' been working perfectly fine for over 12 months and stays charged all the time with minimal winding and I use it near every day. I suspect the brand quality may be a factor to consider, e.g. quality of re-chargeable battery etc...

In regard to the hand cranked laptop, foot cranking may be another option for some situations. Don't forget though that in the third world, raw physical labour is not something new to people, so I doubt winding 1 minute to get 10 minutes of power would be a problem. The daily rigours of a Third World inhabitant are typically much more demanding than that. We in the west are just used to having it too good, but to third world people this would be a luxury.

I'm just highlighting the concept of the technology and like many concepts, over time they tend to be improved. I will leave the implementation strategies to the dreamers with great vision, but of course we all know that inequalities will always exist and it's unlikely any grand vision will ever change that. Of course part of having vision is about the striving of the journey and not just about the end result. In any event the goal posts invariably always change as we navigate toward them.

As a general concept though I think hand crank powered technology has great promise.

[forfismum]

Reminds me of the African guy shown on Sky TV who had attached paddles to a bicycle which pumped water to great effect.Kids thought it was great fun and queued to get a turn.

[LongJohn]

Originally Posted by forfismum

Reminds me of the African guy shown on Sky TV who had attached paddles to a bicycle which pumped water to great effect.Kids thought it was great fun and queued to get a turn.

The hand cranking doesn't seem a good idea for a computer, when you need your hands free to use the keyboard, and having to stop what you are doing periodically in order to crank it again. I think a bicycle arrangement under a desk is the way to go, then the user can be slowing pedalling to keep the computer running indefinitely.

[spadlet]

Originally Posted by LongJohn

The hand cranking doesn't seem a good idea for a computer, when you need your hands free to use the keyboard, and having to stop what you are doing periodically in order to crank it again. I think a bicycle arrangement under a desk is the way to go, then the user can be slowing pedalling to keep the computer running indefinitely.

Then it could be sold for loads of money in the USA and to some of the lazy people over here as a premium weight loss product.