Innovate or Die

Last fall, Google teamed up with with Specialized and Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners to sponsor the Innovate or Die contest, which challenged people to build a machine that transformed pedal power into a new and useful purpose. The winners were announced this week, with the grand prize going to team Aquaduct—five California-based design students.Their invention addresses the needs of the more than  1.1 billion people in the world who don't have access to clean drinking water. The pedal-powered machine allows a person to transport water from a well to another location, and along the way, filter it. The Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle team received $5,000 and five new Specialized Globe bikes. See the YouTube video.

Comments

[Rhoda]

This is a timely piece of information for our church. Every other year, members work in Africa and South America trying to help people improve their lives. Such vehicles would be especially valuable in Africa. Hope they become widely manufactured at reasonable prices.

Rhoda

[Mysterymeat]

Two thirsty little people I know just saw this post and the video and pronounced it "cool".