PodCamp Toronto 2011

Open Hardware, Concept to Reality:
WeCare Solar Suitcase Case Study

PresentationGlenn McKnightIEEE HIC - Sat. Feb 26, 2011

Interesting times

Open Source becoming the Hero in Action Flicks!

Our Approach

Crowdsourcing it ain't

Background

IEEE Humanitarian Technology Challenge formed from the cooperation between the IEEE Foundation and the UN Foundation

Three key focuses: Reliable Electricity, Data Connectivity and Individual Patient Records

IEEE HIC launched a student competition to create an Open Hardware version of the small scale solar suitcase

Project Challenge

Lack of Electricity

1.6 billion people lack access to electricity

2.4 billion lack access to fuels for cooking and heating

300,000 health facilities are without electricity

Maternal Deaths

1/2 million deaths per year

99% of deaths found in developing countries

For every death, 20 more women suffer severe complication from childbirth

Solar Suitcase

WeCare Solar Suitcase being delivered at a Northern Nigerian health clinic

Challenge is modifying the design, components etc to reduce the size and cost of the unit

Open Source design

Open Hardware Competition

Creation of student competition inviting engineering teams to create their own Open (Source) Hardware approach to improve the WSS design and subsequently improve access to for rural clinics in the poorest regions in the world to reliable electricity

Open Hardware model makes it possible for the founders of the platform, WE CARE Solar, to benefit by the new designs

Why Open Hardware?

Shared solutions that are open and not limited by restrictive licencing

Build on the shared knowledge of six separate teams providing their own interpretation of the project

Reduce the cost of complete system

Leverage the existing student networks to promote solutions

Next Steps

Incorporation of new designs into the current WeCare Solar specification

Adaption of the design based upon local supply of components

Local training initiatives to build kits

Spur local technical and humanitarian partnerships ie. HackLab-To and International Women's Groups

Engineering for Change

http://www.youtube.com/user/engineeringforchange

IEEE HIC http://www.slideshare.net/gmcknight/ieee-canada-hic-presentation

More info on HIC

IEEE Humanitarian Initiative Committee

http://ieeecanadahic.oc.ieee.org/members-dashboard

WeCare Solar
.Http://www.wecaresolar.org

Links

WECARE Solar. http://www.wecaresolar.com/mission

HIC, IEEE Canada Humanitarian Initiatives Committee. http://ieee.ca/hic/

Laura Stachel: Solar Saves Lives, PopTech 2010 presentation. http://www.poptech.org/popcasts/laura_stachel_solar_saves_lives

Debora Barnes-Josiah, Cynthia Myntti, Antoine Augustin, The 'three delays' as a framework for examining maternal mortality in Haiti, Social Science & Medicine, Volume 46, Issue 8, 15April 1998, Pages 981-993. (accessed January, 2011)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VBF-3TT01W3-5/2/0a4382e6f6602a6424bce2c457fbfbcb