Natural Innovation Foundation

Two entries in this years's Buckminster Fuller Ideas Index

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:12:21 GMT

Two of the projects we've been working with are now listed in this year's Buckminster Fuller ideas index.

MinVayu - low cost wind for the underserved

Is training village mechanics to assemble and install wind turbines, while designing a low cost turbine optimised for places with low wind.

Listing on Idea index Minvayu.org

UV Aquastar - affordable drinking water

Have a low-cost drinking water device using ultraviolet.

Listing on Idea Index.

Engineering collaborators

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:54:20 GMT

I was at the IEEE "Global Humanitarian Conference" in October, to broaden collaboration with engineering organisations. The conference showed the broad interest among some skilled engineers, but it also showed both the lack of grounding in the realities of developing world, not only among the audience, but also many of the speakers. Matching skilled engineers with projects is particularly relevant for the highly skilled, but often busy, engineers who cannot take a year to participate in a capacity building placement with a developing country organisation. At the conference we spent time with Engineering For Change, and have also attended the BERC conference, and spoken to EWB Australia.

At the moment we are looking for engineering volunteers to work with Mike on the MinVayu project, we need people with structural; mechanical; electo-mechanical; power electronics skills.

UV Aquastar - affordable water treatment

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:20:45 GMT

UV Aquastar has designed simple, affordable devices that treat water with ultra-violet light, killing pathogens and enabling people to take control of supplying their own safe drinking water. A mobile (bottle or stirrer) and a spigot integrated into water dispensers can be powered by battery, solar panel or grid.

Newsletter delayed by Cyclone Thane

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:43:40 GMT

I'm a bit delayed sending off this newsletter, I'm sitting in Auroville in Southern India recovering from Cyclone Thane - it took out thousands of trees - 70% of the forest here, there was one across the road every ten meters or so, and of course that took out power, and phone lines, no electricity means no water since the pumps won't run, and of course no internet. Its day 4 now, mobile phones are back on and most places have water, roads are open to motorbikes, and some to cars, and one or two places with generators, solar or wind, have power &/or internet. I'm here to work with MinVayu (see below), a tree took out their workshop which will be a bit of a set-back, but they will recover, and we'll do our best to help.

MinVayu - small wind for the underserved

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:50:49 GMT

The MinVayu project announced in the last newsletter, is moving along well, although its been set back by losing its workshop in Cyclone Thane, and Mitra will be with them in India until the end of January to help move it along. They've added new people to the team in India, and training of local mechanics is continuing.

UV Aquastar - affordable water treatment

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:49:15 GMT

Thanks for Your Support

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:37:58 GMT

Thank you for your support of Natural Innovation .org, it is this support that enables us to help innovators solve pressing problems around the world.

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Caktilika - Pre-paid power

mitra@naturalinnovation.org (Mitra Ardron) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:40:56 GMT

The Caktilika project has been completely redesigned,

and the new version is still in stealth.

Over 1.4 billion people lack reliable power, and most of them also lack the savings to purchase the renewable solutions such as solar lights.

Caktilika is developing a set of solutions that enable people to pay for power as it is consumed.

Check back later for more information.

They are looking for partners if you ...

design and manufacture solar or other renewable equipment, such as solar lights, or solar home systems, or small wind turbines.
install and maintain renewables systems
are looking for an impact investment to help solve this problem.

Then please contact them directly.