Human-Powered Water Pump

human-pump-2.jpg

Yup – a human-powered water pump! Because unlike coal, people are a renewable resource [we just keep having babies!]. How’s that for a Modest Proposal?

In all seriousness – is this not really siiick looking? Unfortunately, the design shown really doesn’t have anything to do with anything [not that that makes the aesthetic any less impressive] – the really amazing idea here is that this setup will convert kinetic energy from human foot traffic into usable energy to power underground pumps, which will pump fresh drinking water up to the surface in areas where there are drinking water shortages.

Incredible.

human-pump-1.jpg

The project – designed by Gunwook Nam of Seoul, South Korea – was one of three winners of the Re:construct competition sponsored by San Fransisco’s Urban Re:Vision. Here’s the designer’s description:

Human Pump – one step one drop

This structure is adaptable to everywhere, having trouble with water shortage and supply system. All over the world, many countries have trouble with water supply. Almost of countries is worsening desertification and water shortage. Already many cities were covered by sand and these cities will be at a crisis to be vanished. And also we can adapt this structure to contaminated land after flooding disaster because people cannot find clean water. At the country having trouble with water supply, people usually spend their all day finding water or pumping with hands. For these reasons, many children can not go to school. I will suggest Human Pump. If we install this structure on roads that many people usually pass, people will walk through this wood deck structure, children will run and play on this wood playground. And then springs of floor collects shock energy from steps. This energy will be collected and then used by pumping underground water and lifting up deck floor to roof and spraying water out. After school, children just contain water and go to home. Citizens will use this water by farming and drinking. This new invention structure doesn’t need any artificial electronic energy. Only people walks on the structure. It is new self-sufficient invention for future.

.: Check out more images of the proposal here ->

.: The Human Water Pump Harvests Kinetic Energy -> via Inhabitat

Posted: October 22nd, 2008
at 12:23am by orangemenace


Categories: architecture,my ninja, please,green arch,tech

Comments: 2 comments



 

2 Responses to 'Human-Powered Water Pump'

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Human-Powered Water Pump'.

  1. I love your thoughts! I normally don\’t even bother to leave comments, but I wanted to let you know that you hit the nail on the head!

    Social Bookmarks

    29 Oct 08 at 6:46 pm

     

  2. Wow that’s amazing. Its really a great idea of converting kinetic energy into usable energy. Thanks for sharing this information.

    water pump

    17 Sep 10 at 2:46 am

     


 

Leave a Reply