Innovative Ideas for Developing Economies

Energy-producing roads

Roads might function as solar panels and generate electricity for homes, streetlights, and even the vehicles that utilise them. Solaroad constructed the first bike path that generates energy thanks to this audacious vision.

The top layer of the road was their biggest technological difficulty because it needed to be sturdy and damage-resistant while yet letting in as much sunshine as possible. You may construct 10m2 of SolaRoad using a "SolaRoad Kit," which generates enough electricity to meet an average household's annual electrical consumption.

Mobile water safety check

One way the non-profit software startup mWater is making a difference in people's lives is by assisting them in finding nearby sources of clean water. Users may locate, track, and map the quality of water and sanitation sites with mWater apps and software. Additionally, it aids in the detection of water infrastructure inadequacies by municipal authorities.

Eco-Cooler

In developing areas without electricity, soaring temperatures can leave huts unbearably hot. Eco-Cooler, a low-cost cooling system created from recycled plastic bottles, helps solve the issue by drawing cool air into homes.

The cooler is made of halved plastic bottles on a board, which is then installed like a window. When in place, each bottle's neck compresses the hot breeze, cooling it down and dropping temperatures inside a hut as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The XO Laptop

Education and learning are universal desires for today's youth. But poor communities don't always have the means to give children the comprehensive education they deserve.

The XO Laptop is helping to fill that gap. The small, low cost computer is highly durable and features a powerful screen that can be read in harsh sunlight. It has built-in wireless internet so kids can connect to information around the world.

The tech solution is specifically designed for children in developing nations, hoping to give youth access to self-empowered education. XO Laptops have been donated to more than 2.4 million children in several countries, such as Peru, Kenya, Nepal and Afghanistan.

Bottle light bulbs 

Bringing sustainable lighting to communities is the goal of “A Liter of Light”.  This project open sources a simple and innovative technology to create affordable solar light bulbs. Volunteers teach communities how to use recycled plastic bottles and locally sourced materials to assemble the bulbs to light up homes with limited or no access to electricity.

Analysing food quality with images 

Building a more transparent and secure global food system using image recognition and machine learning is ImpactVision’s answer to food waste and fraud. Special software, combined with digital imagining and a chemical technique called spectroscopy, uses a a picture to detect the food's nutritional content, freshness and moisture.

At the moment, the sensors needed to take the images are neither commonly affordable nor pocket-sized. However, in the near future, these may integrate with smartphones, ready for users to assess food in real-time.