Lighting
2016
"The STEM Path to the MBA’s Reverse Innovation in India experience in July 2016 gave me the unique opportunity to interview families at the base of the economic pyramid to design inexpensive solutions to meet their needs. Identifying that daytime darkness in homes and the unreliability and expense of electricity were two big problems for these families; my team developed a low-cost light using a water bottle and solar energy. Our idea was inspired by an innovation called Liter of Light used for disaster relief in the Philippines, and consists of a filled water bottle with an LED attached inside the bottle’s cap and a power source. The light can be installed through the roof, allowing for sunlight to be refracted through the bottle during the day, while the LED light can be used during the night.
While in India, we interviewed families, small businesses, and a recycling center to learn more about the interest and price point of our light and the availability and cost of raw materials. We continued our work on the project through prototyping and customer research when we returned to UA with the Crimson Start-up program. These pictures are of different families and small business owners we visited related to the light project. We visited families and the self-help group to ask questions related to pricing and if they would even be interested in the project or had a need for it. We also went to a recycling center to ask how feasible it would be to use recycled bottles to construct the lights. We also went to small business owners who sold small solar panels and batteries to learn about the prices of the raw materials and their quality." - Ruth Bishop, student from the 2016 trip |
|