SA wins international award
Powering household electrical appliances with pedal power is a way to go green, reduce electricity usage and get a great workout at the same time! This green invention won the internationakl Red Dot ‘Best of the Best 2012’ Design Award.
South African product design consultancy Ideso invented the PowerPac, a transportable device that stores human-generated energy created during cycling. The PowerPac stored energy can be used later to power household electronic devices. This green invention beat thousands of international products to win the coveted Red Dot ‘Best of the Best 2012’ Design Award, a sought-after international seal of design quality.
While human power generation and storage is not new, Ideso’s PowerPac is the world’s first product to offer a removable power storage unit that becomes a portable charging unit for use anywhere in the home or office.
“Our aim was to create an aesthetically pleasing, user friendly and functional design that marries the fluidity of cycling with dynamic power generation,” says Ideso MD, Marc Ruwiel, “It can be used by cyclists who can reduce CO2 emissions and generate their own electrical power, while enjoying a good workout at home.”
The PowerPac features two housings to contain the required components. The larger housing is split into a front and a back cover that contains the permanent magnet DC generator and the charge controller. The smaller battery housing is split into a top and a base cover and contains the 12V battery with a capacity of 11Ah, a DC to AC inverter and various energy output options: 220V AC (conventional plug), 12 DC (cigarette lighter) and 5V DC (USB).
“With 58 countries competing, it’s great to receive this prestigious accolade, especially as we are the fourth South African company ever to win in the last 57 years,” says Ruwiel.
Ideso is now seeking an investment partner with an existing brand in the cycling industry to enable it to develop their green invention further and get it into mass production.
Submitted by Philip on Tue, 2012-11-13 11:55
