Here is a brilliant invention that makes it easy for people in third world countries or disaster areas to transport, filter and store water from distant sources. Called the “Aquaduct“, it incorporates an ingenious pedal-powered filtration system that enables people everywhere to have access to clean drinking water.
Developed by design consultancy IDEO, the Aquaduct is the winner of the 2008 Innovate or Die competition sponsored by Google. Check out the video below to see it in action.
The tricycle uses a pedal-driven Peristaltic pump to push collected water in the rear tank through a filter, which is then fed to a smaller, clean, two-gallon container at the front. When the remaining water is needed, you simply flip a clutch to disengage the wheels and pedal yourself out another two-gallons.
The beauty of the design lies in its ease-of-use, plus its ability to save both time and resources. The tricycle can carry large amounts of water without strain and at much faster speeds than could be achieved on foot. The simultaneous pedal-powered filtration ensures you have clean water for your family by the time you arrive home and without wasting resources by having to boil it first.
There are a few issues with the trike that would need to be addressed, however, such as the cost of replacing the filters. Also, the main water container should be removable, so that a family does not require a secondary form of transportation to carry goods. The rear tank is also too difficult to fill, especially from a body of water. Perhaps this could be improved by using a secondary pedal-driven peristaltic pump, feeding water into the rear tank via a hose placed in a lake or stream.
The Aquaduct is just a concept at this stage, but IDEO does plan to evolve it into a more commercially viable product. Hopefully this will someday help to address the issue of unsafe drinking water which affects billions of people around the world.
