Dean Kamen has unveiled the latest iteration of his power and water package for the third world. The two components are a water purifier called Slingshot that uses a fraction of the power of alternatives and a Stirling engine based power generator that works on cow dung. The $1500 water purifier will produce 1000 liters of water a day, while the $3,700 generator produces around 1 kW, which is enough to deliver light to a small village. The two products have been in development for years, but it looks as though they are now ready for more prime time consideration.
It’s amazing that in this day and age, when investment bankers routinely take home $50 million paychecks, we can’t seem to work out how to help the majority of people on this planet from being at risk through lack of water and power. Astonishing. Here’s hoping things change sooner rather than later.
- Earlier report from 2003
- Video report from this month
- Short blog post from December
- Longer report from 2006
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I’m afraid price amounts are not quite correct. Currently, purifier and generator prototypes are over $200000 each, but industrial production should lower the price to $1500 a unit. However, these prototypes have been around for a few years now (3 or 4, I think) and still no sign of industrial manufacturing.
I’m afraid the financial side of these products will impact the interest in them…..consider that here in South Africa with the current power crisis more people are investing in fuel-based generators (a 5Kw generator going for R6500 = +- $850). If we’re to help the impoverished third world we’re going to have to come up with much cheaper alternatives. $1500 is almost an annual salary for most africans…..:(
It seems clear that there is an agenda for not wanting this technology available to the third world en mass?? Why??
Actually, from what I was reading they’re looking to use the same economic model that is being used with cell phones in the third world. Where they provide a loan to a village, sell them the two products and then the village repays them. Karen is actually targeting the third world with this product. The only real question is why financial backing hasn’t been produced to mass market these.
soy colombiano y estoy interesaso en comprar un sistema de sling shot
deseo saber el valor para comprarlo
le agradezco me responda lo mas rapìdo posible
gracias
te escribo desde quito ecuador yo tambien estoy interesado en el sistema slig-shot para mi casa si ya tienes informacion del precio y como adquirirlo ,te agradeceria me envies la informacion a mi e-mail. patyvini2@andinante.net
Hi – I just saw this on TV and think it got great potential – but has to be mass produced – and marketed to get the price points right. I believe that the first step should be to allay the product with commercial interests that could help bring it to fruition. My thoughts are not totally alturistic… I am involved in developing a new water concept that will greatly reduce the amount of PET plastic used in more developed countries provision of water at home and in the workplace. However I feel that we should have a water related charity that passes some of the benefit on to a worthwhile cause… hence if we linked our new product development (which will be highly visible in homes and offices) with a new product that has such potential (but needs to be mass produced to get the price point right) – well then its win win.
I trained as a Microbiologist but was one of the early movers in Filtered water coolers. I have had a background in Point Of Use coolers (POU) – having built up and sold one of Europes biggest POU companies… so I am sold on the concept of POU. However it does not work everywhere… hence my new idea (see http://www.aqueduct.ie). Link sales of water by us to development and supply of a good pure water system for the third world… seems to make sense??
What do you all think?
Kieran Mckenna.
nice comments buddy
I find excellent this new invention and I want to stand out their creator's brilliant mind; I am civil engineer and I live in a region of Colombia that calls you Casanare, in these places some communities that suffer illnesses of diarrhea like consequence of the terrible quality of the water that consume, in summer season exist I would like to send some pictures of the water aque they take; it is for it that interests me vastly the SLINGSHOT and I would like to elaborate some project to help there are these families, for what I am appreciated them they send information to know but the product like rhythm in maintenance, their maintenance requires technical personnel, the reserves are easy to get, as I can get it, through who can make orders, in Colombia is sold already in that region, I can install it in properties, etc., I am appreciated him they send the biggest information possible to my e-mail: miguel200176@hotmail.com.
Thank you
MIGUEL ANGEL CAMARGO VEGA
me interesaria tener uno como lo obtego?????????
quisiera como muchos otros aca, una informacion mas clara de como adquirir el producto, soy colombiano, mas exactamente vivo en bogota, culaquier informacion disponible favor comunicarse al 031-2036555, Bogota, Colombia o escribir al mail: willcef@hotmail.com
gracias, por cualquier ayuda¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡
I¨´dont speak english
Deseria mas informacion sobre los equipos de su produccion en la intencion de traer a mi pais para acomodar en el area rural o campo, a la espera de noticias suyas le dejo mi e mail
hi I am ansh from india.
i some how came to know about the product sling shot , and i really like it
can you have any demonstration of your product here in india.
if so i would love to see it.
i stay in gurgaon near new delhi(capital of india).
this is a nice idea, that too in the present world engulfed in watercrisis
Hi, Congratulaations for your invent. I need know more this product. Cost maintenance, how purchase. Etc. __I live in Guatemala City.
Hi please send me all the info and prices.
I am from South Africa and this will be great for the rural areas.
Christo van Jaarsveld
I have seen this product on television and I'm very excited at the possibilities. I'm currently living in Colombia and after having visited some of the northern Caribbean coast, I have witnessed a obvious need for a purifier like this! It's sad really; we're not even talking about the other side of the globe, just a 2 1/2 hour flight from Miami and BOOM! Poverty and death are at our US door step and most don't even realize it.
Anyone with any further information please feel free to email me at: Info@redtelco.com and if I get some further information I will do the same.
Bendiciones,
Gustavo C.
me parece que la tecnología de slingshot es muy apreciable y me gustaría adquirir algunos, le escribo desde España y le agradecería me contactará.
alex.jrios@hotmail.com
I think a Kiva type approach may be a way to move, if the price can be brought in at say $2,500. One village at a time I for one would be willing to participate. Setting it up as a loan to be repaid by the first village, then at my option I could roll over the repayment into another village. I like to sell items put the money into Kiva, stuff from my closets that I no longer use, my neighbors know I do this and often contribute, even occasional dumpster diving I sell on craigslist. I help recycle items that would go to a land fill , and help out others. Without effecting my income, which is fixed, I look at it as a hobby in my little work shop I repair the small appliances I can before selling them, what iI cannot sell I donate to the Salvation Army. It is fun, and gives me something useful to do in my retirement.
right we are in a drawt and this would great please tell me where to buy one
I hope there is something I can be of sone help. I can contact some manufacturers in Taiwan or China if I can get some information and details first. To cost down can be
achieved one step by one step.
cause no body care enough about this….
i would buy if i could…..
I¨´dont speak english
Deseria mas informacion sobre los equipos de su produccion en la intencion de traer a mi pais (ECUADOR) para acomodar en el area rural o campo, a la espera de noticias suyas le dejo mi e mail santiago_gonzalez6@yahoo.com / soporte.intelserv@gmail.com
Me podrian mandar información para poder Adquirir Uno de sus productos. lo vi en el programa de Discovery.
Is noce solution , pls send me contact information , my country EL Salvador ,have some disastres in nov2009 , and some remote sites , the people don´t have services ,.
my e-mail edwin_grijalba@hotmail.com ,
They just don't want people to get clear water do they? This machine is simply too complicated to work in such conditions. I myself have built a water sanitizer of commercially available parts producing 8-10 lpm germicide free water (confirmed 99.999% effectivity), runs on solar power. It took me 3 months working in free time. The one off machine at off-the-shelf prices was $3000 with an estimated annual maintenace cost of $2-300. Design life 10 years+. Imagine what that would be in mass production. $200000 LOL
http://vimeo.com/5494277
The Machinist
well since this has such a high capability it might just be bought by governments in small numbers & then placed in secured places for public use, or may be charity people would do this. Even if africa might not be able to afford these, there's plenty of people here at south asia who are interested in suck kind of product( provided that it really does cost $1500, cause its supposed to be enough for one village, if everyone there works together they could raise that much cash no problem !) specially due to the idea of cow dung which is intentionally or not priduced largely in this part of the world.