Power Scheme for OLPC Project Falling Into Place

robotrachel writes "According to Technology Review, the $100 laptop intended for children in the developing world will be powered in much the same way that you might start an outboard motor on a boat. The new power system will 'make the laptop much easier to power than it would be with a hand crank, in part, because the users will be able to operate the generator in a variety of ways, including holding the device (the size of two hockey pucks) in one hand and pulling the string with the other, or clamping the generator to a desk, attaching the string to one foot, and using leg power.'" There are plenty of sewing machine treadles in the world, too -- I hope someone can figure out a way to combine them with the new design.

I want one!

[QuantumFTL]

These machines are actually starting to sound like something some people in the US might even like. I can imagine sitting outside in some remote area, working as much as I like without even worrying about running out of batteries (and getting exercise at the same time).

What'd I'd really like to see is an inexpensive laptop which has a screen that's highly visible, even outdoors. I could get a lot of work done that way, and work on my tan at the same time. Does anyone know of any? I'd assume it'd work best with grayscale.

Solar Cells?

[digitaldc]

I am not sure if something like this [21st-century-goods.com] is powerful enough or even cost-effective, but what about solar cell technology to power these laptops?
Was this even considered?

Open Popular Mechanics

[Doc Ruby]

The best mechanical coupling design would have a open interface. A rotating bolt that can take the pullcord attachment, or a sewing machine pedal cam, or a bicycle tire clip, or a homemade windmill/waterwheel/goatwheel, or any mechanical rotation.

Then include in its desktop a link to a blog for new powerup inventions worldwide. Necessity is the mother of invention, and local materials the father. Give these kids a way to improve and share, and we'll all get the benefits of their unique insights. What better way to harness the power of global kids?

the old ways are sometimes the best

[pilgrim23]

In World War II in the War in the Pacific, American planes were outfitted with a special emergency device. This was a hand crank generator coupled to a Morse Code transmiter on a spindle much like a music box. As you turned the crank it would power the trasnmiter and the spindle would key the correct di di di dah dah dah di di dit (SOS) and some other information so a search plane or ships with direction finding equipment could find you.
The slang name for this box was a "Gibson Girl".

Fat and the American Computer User

[Anonymous Coward]

We have been discussing this kind of thing for a very long time where I work. According to the news, Americans are some of the most heavy in the world, and to narrow it down further, most of those heavy people are computer professionals. (http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/obesity_US. shtml) and (http://www.perspectives.com/forums/view_topic.php ?id=40450&forum_id=64&page=3) We designed and built a very simple solution to this problem... We took a stationary bicycle and attached a generator to the rear wheel...it is a small enough generator to provide for a laptop...12 v, 15 a... Now, to get 8 hours of work done, we use a small battery (about an hour's worth of power) and you have to pedal for approx. 4 hours to get your 8 hours of power. Next we will try an elliptical exercise machine, and maybe a treadmill... Theoretically, this little generator could be hooked up to any kind of weight machine...

Re:I want one!

[Kadin2048]

Well, I'm not sure if it's been dropped from the OLPC at this point, but early prototypes were supposed to have a screen that either worked in color (with a backlight, I think) in dim/indoor light, or as passive high-contrast monochrome displays (with higher resolution and longer battery life) when in direct/bright light. I'm not sure where I read this; I think it was in a Wired Magazine article.

Sounded pretty neat to me. Until a while back, I had a monochrome-display Apple laptop that I still used for basic word-processing/email/Telnet text-based stuff, when I was sitting out on my deck next to the pool. I didn't care if it got wet, and it was the only machine I've ever owned that worked well in bright sunlight. You could just turn the backlight on the screen down to zero, and still read stuff. (Unless you had the sun glare right in your eyes; then it wouldn't work obviously, but anything else it was good for.) In the end, its battery died and that was all she wrote, but even as it was getting old, it could still run for an hour or so without the screen backlight.

If the OLPC incorporates such a screen, I really would like to see them become more common. I'd love the ability to switch from regular-rez color to high-resolution, low-power monochrome when I'm working in well-lit environments.