Gravity Lights for Rural Villages

I recently read about an invention to bring electricity to rural areas with no power.  From the website:

GravityLight is powered by the lift of a weight.

As the weight falls it turns a gear train, driving the motor that powers the LEDs.

GravityLight doesn’t need batteries or sunlight and costs nothing to run. It takes seconds to lift the weight that powers GravityLight, creating 20 minutes of light on its descent.

In places like sub-Saharan Africa, many people cannot afford kerosene to feed their lamps. Even if they can, the smoke from them as well as the frequent fires pose serious health and safety risks. There are battery-powered head lamps and other lights, but access to batteries is not common in more remote areas.  For people who have lived roughly half their lives in the dark, these lights could be a game-changer. They cost nothing to run, once the initial light source, pulley system and accessories are set up. They don’t need to “gather” light, like solar options, but can provide light on demand. They are safe both for the environment and people.

To see a video of how simple these lights are to set up, click here.