Every once in a while I hear an idea, smack my head, and “why didn’t I think of that?” The GravityLight is one of those brilliant ideas. The problem: batteries and fuel, typically kerosene, are expensive ways to provide light. The solution: use gravity to create the light. Lift a bag connected to the flashlight and the weight of the bag dropping creates the energy needed to run the flashlight for 30 minutes and could potentially be used to charge other devices. This is especially important where electricity grids are sparse and unreliable. Being able to charge mobile phones is one potential benefit.
GravityLight is a crowdsourced project, meaning they are not seeking venture capital investment to take the idea to market. Individuals like us can pay $25 to send a light to those that need it most. Let’s take a moment this holiday season to skip that extra dinner out and put some money towards a brighter tomorrow.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/06/gravitylight-uses-weight-to-illuminate-without-batteries-or-fuel/
Credit to Matt Ferrino, a a Penn State/Smeal College of Business student, for bringing this article to my attention.