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ASEE Prism, Sep 2007 by Grose, Thomas
TECHNOLOGY
A LANTERN BUILT FROM bamboo, an old soda bottle and rechargeable solar panels may sound like a kid's project. But the clever device is actually the brainchild of student engineers at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. It's part of a program to help provide rural villages in northern Ghana with affordable water, energy and shelter. Begun by Toby Cumberbatch, an electrical engineering professor reared in Ghana, the program sends undergraduates on a two-month field trip to the area each year. This year's group included four engineering students, one architectural student and an art student. Cumberbatch's students also developed a water filtration system that uses laterite, a common rock in the region that's heavily laced with iron and aluminum. Its pump is powered by solar panels, which also run a laptop that monitors the system. Students also helped redesign mud huts to make them less susceptible to deterioration from the elements. Cumberbatch says previous trips enabled students to make strong contacts with local communities and understand "the right types of projects" to develop.-TG
Installing solar panels on laboratory roof
Copyright AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION Sep 2007
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