Alumni News
ODU Students Design Solar Lamp to Help Developing Countries' Future Leaders
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Nearly 2 billion people on the planet live without reliable electricity-an obvious obstacle for entire communities in developing countries. This presents an especially difficult situation for students in these areas who need light to read and study in the evenings. Old Dominion electrical engineering students and their professor, Sacharia Albin, have set out to help overcome that challenge.
Albin assigned his ODU students with the task of designing a portable, solar and battery powered lamp that would provide at least three hours of light per day, cost no more than $20 each and charge in no more than six hours. (Current models on the market cost approximately $35 each and take at least nine hours to charge.)
Seniors Rodney Douglas of Virginia Beach, Richard Schaefer of Evansville, Indiana and Anthony Gontarz of Phoenix, Arizona, embraced the challenge. The three settled on a design that emits a bright beam for a low cost, has a battery life of 500 days and folds to ship easily and cost-effectively. Albin was so pleased with the end product that he has already made plans to ship prototypes to Haiti.
The students plan to continue work on the design after graduation. Douglas explains: "This is what you dream about as an engineer... to leave a legacy."
After the three perfect the lamp, they will provide current students in developing countries a tool by which they can study and, one day, become leaders. In doing so, these ODU students hope to contribute to the improved quality of life, economic wealth and global influence of some of the world's most needy countries.
That's quite a legacy to leave. But it's definitely possible--all starting with a $20 lamp.
Read more here.