12I am part of a team making a bicycle refrigeration system to carry temperature-sensitive medications and foods in developing regions. Following principles of Frugal Innovation, the system can retrofit to common bicycles and operates without connection to the electrical grid.
Capabilities
- Charges using bike motion while riding
- Renewable, off-grid power
- Rugged
- Keep contents warm or cold
- Detachable
- Maintain safe temperature for at least 4 hours
- Charging shuts off to reduce burden when moving uphill
- 4L capacity
- Less than 30lbs weight
- Regulate temperature within 1°C
- Pads and protects items from damage
- Weatherproof
Use Cases
Medical supplies in developing regions: Safely maintain cold-chain for vaccines, insulin, blood transfusions and more when bringing supplies to remote regions that lack roads and electricity.
Urban delivery: Bicycles can bypass traffic in congested cities, and more efficiently distribute medications from pharmacies and takeout from restaurants.
Bicycle rentals & owners: Refrigeration is a novel and useful feature for bikers, and would allow grocery shopping and picnics to be done using a bicycle instead of environmentally destructive vehicle transit.
