Nanotechnology in the Third World

This week’s Cradle to Cradle and A Better World by Design talk I thought was well transitioned from last week’s Dr. Beck Bruce’s Saving the World Soul by Soul presentation. I’m beginning to learn where industrial design’s purpose and need fall into place in our world as well as in my life.

While surfing the Afrigadget blog, I found Sheila Kennedy’s Portable Light Project especially intriguing which relates back to my lighting timeline few weeks back. She shares the incredible creation of a completely customizable solar powered portable light device. The Portable Light Project represents how the developing technology use around the world can be applied to not only the wealthy countries, but to even the most unthinkable, undeveloped places.

The Portable Light Project is a continuing non-profit research, design and engineering initiative by KVA MATx. They strive to create new ways to deliver de-centralized renewable power and light to the developing world. The Portable light is a cordless and versatile textile with flexible photovoltaic and solid state lighting that all cultures can easily adapt to. With help from ArtVenture, the Portable Light team enabled a project in Las Guayabas to weave energy harvesting bags with their traditional back strap loom, really integrating the new foreign technology into their familiar culture. Women who are usually the most vulnerable in these cultures to adapt to new technology, now by involving themselves in sewing together the solar panels into their traditional Huichol bag called a K+tsuri, can become more familiarized with its function. This access to simple lighting, families are able to complete their simple tasks at night, such as doing homework for a child while the mother finishes up sewing. Though there is investment in the material that utilizes lightweight nanotechnology, it eliminates the worries of sustaining and replacing power, since it is solar powered abundant and accessible from anywhere around the world.

"The Portable Light Project demonstrates how nano-technology can benefit not only the “third” world—where more than 2 billion people currently do not have access to electricity--but also the “first” world, where energy-efficient design is increasingly important."