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InnoCentive Offers First Two Rockefeller Foundation Challenges
Third Challenge
Posted August 2nd
Fourth Challenge
Posted September 18th
The Rockefeller Foundation -- which has teamed with InnoCentitve to find innovative scientific or technological solutions to the problems of poor and vulnerable peoples -- has presented its first two 'Challenges' on InnoCentive's Web site. Both challenges seek a specific adaptation to an existing device.
The first challenge was posted on July 17th:
There currently exists a wireless light for reading that uses an LED light bulb and rechargeable battery. It's used in locations where family income is low and there is a need for lighting that is inexpensive and costs little or nothing to operate. Batteries can be recharged during daytime with a small solar panel built onto one side of the light. Thus, the operating cost of such a lighting device is essentially eliminated while imposing zero carbon footprint.
The challenge is straightforward: Many users of this task lamp have expressed a greater need for a dual purpose lamp that -- while ideal for reading -- can also be used for room lighting to enhance social cohesion at night. Villagers would like to have a lamp that can illuminate a small (4 meters x 4 meters) room relatively evenly with light intensity comparable to that afforded by a conventional kerosene lantern.
The Seeker (the organization 'seeking' the innovative solution) is interested in achieving this dual-purpose lamp by adding an additional feature to the existing lamp with a switch to turn on either mode when needed. The Seeker would like to solicit a novel lighting device design that can be built upon the existing lighting structure and provide dual mode lighting if possible.
The second challenge was posted on July 25th:
In India, a small milling machine called a Pin Pulverizer is used to grind dry grains that need to be milled -- like rice and wheat -- into a fine powder. The limitation of this mill is that it cannot be used to grind materials with a higher moisture and oil content -- like dry red chilies and coriander -- into the appropriate form with mixed results.
The challenge here is to adapt a Pin Pulverizer so that it can grind foods like dry red chilies and coriander into the appropriate size and still continue to grind the dry grains as needed. A mill that could grind both dry and moist/oily grains would economically benefit many in poor households.
A third challenge was posted on August 2nd:
Design of a small extruder to make high quality bricks is desired. This requires only a written proposal and can be a new design or modification of the existing mini-extruder.The use of mini-extruder can improve the efficiency of brick making over that of the hand-making process by 5 –10 folds and thus improve the wages and lives of the brick makers in the developing world. However, the quality of the extruder-made bricks is still too low to render the mini-extruder to be widely adopted. The livelihood of the brick makers in the developing world will benefit from the success of a mini-extruder capable of producing high quality bricks.
The fourth challenge was posted on September 18th:
top of the pageA 100% plant oil (non-edible oil) stove has been developed to replace Kerosene as a cooking fuel. The fuel pursued is ’straight vegetable oil’ instead of bio-diesel because the ’straight’ vegetable oil will not undergo any processing or refining.
The ultimate mission of the endeavor is to promote rural energy independence by encouraging the use of a renewable energy source (plant oil) instead of non-renewable sources like kerosene. If successful, this product will be a boon by reducing dependence on Kerosene and encouraging the use of a more sustainable, renewable energy source.
The Challenge on hand is as follows: The current model can only burn for 2 hours before clogging up with carbon deposits) The goal is to adapt/modify/improve this stove design so that it can burn for 10 hours or more before requiring cleaning.