Archive notice: This article was originally published on October 26, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The developers of the 100-dollar laptop have repeatedly attracted attention with innovations and alternative concepts for supplying energy to the OLPC device. Since the devices were designed primarily for children from areas that often do not even have an electricity supply, they have, for example, a crank for mechanically charging the batteries or solar cells. For use in an Indian village, the technicians have now developed a further possibility in which electricity is produced with the aid of cattle. “We plan to use cows to operate the alternator of an old Fiat via a series of belts and pulleys,” OLPC member Arjun Sarwal reports in an e-mail forum.
The idea for this low-tech solution arose from the local conditions, Sarwal writes. The methods originally planned for low-cost energy supply proved to be the wrong approach. Initially, the use of solar cells had been considered, but the solar radiation in this area was not persistently strong enough. Hydropower and wind power were also discarded. Diesel- or gasoline-powered generators would become too expensive in the long run. Operation with the aid of small bicycle dynamos also had to be ruled out. “Bicycles are not very common in this area, especially in this village,” Sarwal writes. However, the residents own a great many cows, which are used for work in the fields. The use of these animals was therefore obvious. The cattle drive the generator and thus produce enough electricity to operate the laptops in the village.
The first notebook model, called XO, is on the verge of starting mass production. This had to be postponed repeatedly in recent months. Most recently, finalizing the software caused problems for the technicians. In addition, the price that the device promised by its name cannot currently be maintained either. Instead of 100 dollars, the first devices will cost around 188 dollars. To improve the financial situation of the IT development-aid project, it was recently announced that the XO will also be available on the open market. “Give 1, Get 1” is the motto, whereby a second device is purchased at the time of acquisition and ultimately made available to a child.
