Music is the universal language, and in the case of an instrument called SPARK, it could also be a lifesaver. SPARK, invented by Royal College of Art graduate Diana Simpson Hernandez and promoted by percussionist Sudha Kheterpal, is a percussion shaker that creates electricity as it creates music.

In developing countries like Kenya where up to 75% of the population has no access to electricity, kerosene lamps are often used for nighttime lighting. These lamps are deadly, causing 12,000 deaths per year in Kenya alone. But without them, schoolchildren have no way to do their homework or read.

The SPARK contains a copper coil with a magnet inside that moves back and forth as the SPARK is shaken. The motion gathers electricity which is stored in a rechargeable battery, allowing owners to jam in the daylight to save up enough electricity to light their homes at night. The SPARK happens to make a lovely sound when shaken, so it makes a great addition to a formal or impromptu musical gathering.

A USB light can be operated from the SPARK’s stored energy. This can provide precious time to read or do schoolwork at home. The SPARK can also be used to charge mobile phones, a service that is typically only available to Kenyans for a charge from street vendors.

The project’s Kickstarter campaign is an impassioned plea to bring a much-needed source of clean energy to developing nations. Because learning the inner workings of the tool is just as important as using it, the SPARK will be manufactured and distributed as an assembly kit. After testing the SPARK in several Kenyan villages, Kheterpal has discovered that the technology would make a huge positive difference in the lives of its users. Contribute at least £150 to the Kickstarter campaign to get your hands on one of the very first SPARK kits to be produced.

The post Instrument Sparks Love of Music + Brings Power to Homes first appeared on Gajitz.

Man and the moon: he’s dreamed of it; he’s conquered it. Now he’s trying to make it his bitch. A Japanese company proposes building a massive ring of 250 mile-wide solar panels to use it as a constant stream of energy.

Tokyo based Shimizu Corporation calls their project the ‘Luna Ring,’ a 6,800-mile long track of solar panels that would circle the moon’s equator. As solar energy is absorbed, receiving stations on various locations across the globe would catch the laser and microwave transmissions broadcasted from the big belt. The project’s website calls attention to the Luna Ring’s potential for “mega-scale solar power generation on the lunar surface” that on earth would “[fulfill] all energy needs and realizes a clean energy society.” The ring would produce a projected 13,000 terawatts of power.

As to the question of cost, Shimizu has that covered. The Luna Ring plan would include the production of worker robots, made by Shimizu, that would mine the rock material from the moon to make the solar panels. The proposal was first introduced in 2010, and Shimizu predicts production starting as early as the not-too-distant 2035.

The post Moonlighting: Alt-Energy Plan Uses the Moon as Source first appeared on Gajitz.

Using the earth to harness energy is no new business, but we’ve come a long way from the windmill or water wheel. Aquatic energy company Minestro has revealed an interesting new system to create green energy using the ocean’s currents.

Dubbed “Deep Green,” the project features a squad of giant propeller-like objects that “[convert] energy from tidal stream flows into electricity,” according to the company’s website. The devices are wings with turbines connected and are anchored to the sea floor. As the aquatic current flows by them, energy is created by “novel principle” – the same concept behind classic inventions like the windmill.

Initial trials of the system were performed off the coast of Northern Ireland. Minestro plans to have a bigger version of Deep Green going in the UK by 2015, in hopes that it becomes a fully-viable source of green energy.

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In developing nations, the spread of mobile technology is far outpacing the spread of access to reliable grid electricity. This means that, of the some 200 million mobile phones in Africa alone, most can not be charged in the owners’ homes. Instead, those owners have to walk far distances and pay several dollars a month just to charge their devices. A revolutionary device called the Bottle Charger could charge those devices in homes while saving plastic bottles from the landfill.

The Bottle Charger was designed by a group of visionaries in Nairobi, Kenya. It takes nothing more than a 20 liter (about five gallons) plastic bottle and a cup of boiling water to charge your cell phone or other device in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on factors like the temperature surrounding the bottle. The Bottle Charger uses a small Blackbeard Unidirectional Constant Turbine (B.U.C.T.) to generate energy along with the rise and fall of temperatures.

While solar power is often proposed as an alternative source of energy in developing nations, there are a host of problems that come with solar power collection and storage. The biggest obstacles to using solar effectively are that the sun needs to shine on the panels for them to collect energy, and the storage batteries need to be replaced rather frequently, which can be costly. The Bottle Charger isn’t strong enough to power entire cities, but it could power lights and phones, improving productivity and communication.

Unfortunately, the Bottle Charger project on IndieGoGo fell far short of its $25,000 goal before the end of the campaign. But the idea is solid, and there are so many possibilities for an invention like this. Hopefully the Bottle Charger team will continue their drive to provide safe, cheap, clean power to developing nations.

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Lots of people bike for exercise, but other than the physical benefits they receive it seems that these workouts could be doing more good. The Levitation Bike from design team DEzien is a concept that would incorporate exercise, electricity generation and a mobile hotspot.

The bike is a futuristic concept that would be made from Hi-Macs, a moldable solid material that would let the bikes be rapidly and inexpensively produced. But of course, the fact that the bike levitates would be its stand-out feature. It uses magnetic levitation to keep it just above the ground as you coast along, avoiding pebbles and uneven terrain. At slower speeds, it rides along the ground just like a regular bike.

But as you pedal, you also generate energy that is stored in high-capacity batteries. You can detach the batteries later to charge your gadgets, or you can plug it right into your home’s electric system to feed power back into the grid. If you prefer to charge on the go, you can plug in your USB-charged gadgets as you’re cycling.

An LED touch screen lets you keep track of your workout information and how much energy you have generated. Levitation creates its own mobile wi-fi hotspot as you pedal, letting you stay connected as you’re on the go. Of course, Levitation is only a concept (and, to be honest, a kind of uncomfortable-looking one at that) but its purpose is to bet people thinking about alternative means of energy generation. With its gorgeous looks and unique concept, it seems to do that quite well.

The post Almost-Hoverbike Levitates and Generates Electricity + Wi-Fi first appeared on Gajitz.