Mail & Guardian reporter
The development of the wind-up radio moved clockwork from the realm of children’s toys to the adult world. But a team at Technikon Witwatersrand intends to take wind-up power into the electronic age, with a project that should eventually result in a computer powered by a spring.
Chris Bradum is manager of the degree course at the technikon that trains students with the help of the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (Thrip) to develop a local industry using wind-up power as a source. This kind of powered appliance has huge potential in the developing world, where many people may live far from electricity and buying batteries would be beyond their means, even if available. The developmental potential of wind-up radios has been widely recognised. Using them means people can receive information in the remotest areas. Bradum says that the synergy between satellites and wind-up computers could be of immense benefit in helping education in rural areas since the most remote school or village could have access to information. He believes prototypes could be available from June next year.
Wind-up telephones, torches and radios are already available. The original concept of wind-up radio was to crank up a spring which would unwind powering a dynamo that in turn would recharge the batteries. Bradum and his team are working on a modified, and hopefully more efficient approach, where human energy involved in winding up the device is directly translated into the dynamo, rather than going through a spring. The energy stored in their wind-up design would run a radio for about an hour, and a torch for about 30 minutes.
In line with the Thrip philosophy of bringing research and industry together, students involved in the Technikon Witwatersrand project also have to prepare a business plan including a marketing strategy for the products they are researching.