Laos - Pedal Power

The Jhai Foundation has been working in the Hin Heup district of Laos with villagers to set up schools, wells, and a weaving co-operative. The Foundations has been designing and intends to deploy a purpose-assembled PC that is rugged and energy efficient.

The Jhai group has designed a rugged computer and printer assembled from off-the-shelf components that draws less than 20 watts in normal use along with 18 watts for the LCD screen. It is designed to survive dirt, heath, and immersion in water. This is a 486-based system built in a PC/104 form-factor with a micro-drive for memory. It includes a wireless network interfact, based on the 802.11b protocol, to transmit data between the villages and a server located at the Phon Hong Hospital and on to the Internet.

Related Web-based Resources

• Jhai PC and Communication System (Jhai Foundation web site)
• "Pedal Power: Look Ma No Wires" (Article in WiFi Planet, August 2002)
• Pedal Power Electricity Generator (Short paper, 2001)