Please check out our entry in the NASA Create the Future design contest.
NASA Link Click Here
The Gaialux entry has attracted attention from around the world. We recently got an email from Kosovo, where power is intermittent, asking how to license the design.
Thanks for your support.
Gaialux - Light When You Need It
Gaialux began as a program to provide lighting in rural parts of the developing world. Since our start we have expanded the program to include a new lighting technology specifically for cities where power is intermittent. Using recycled materials and very efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) the Gaialux for “Squatter Cities” provides light where people need it most.
The Problem:
Most of us take easy access to energy and electric light for granted, but billions of people in less economically developed countries have intermittent power or no power at all and often resort to illuminating their homes with kerosene lamps. Our “GaiaLux” light addresses these problems and also serves as a very efficient task light for college students, architects and designers. GaiaLux is an efficient lighting technology for the entire world.
Background:
Our invention is a novel Light Emitting Diode (LED) light powered by a recycle cell phone charger. Our light has the option of incorporating batteries that charge when power is available and work when light is needed, thus providing light when other people are left in the dark.
LEDs are very efficient so our light will run for days on battery power alone. When power is available the cell phone charger automatically charges the batteries, when the batteries are fully charged it shuts off – with almost no standby power loss! (We have measured this)
The Gaialux program will be two pronged - one company will sell energy efficient modern light designs Via mail order. All profits from this company will go toward supporting Gaialux.org, the company that distributes solar-LED and recycled charger lights in the developing world.
The official kick off for Gaialux is January, 2008.
Please check back to see our lighting designs.
Thank you,
John Barrie
B&W Photo Credit: Lon Horwedel, The Ann Arbor News
