GravityLight is a revolutionary new approach to storing energy and creating illumination that is powered soley by gravity. The lamp uses no batteries or fuel and has no operating costs after the initatal purchase price of $5 making it a fantastic alternative to the expensive and hazardous kerosene lanterns, which are widely used in developing countries.
Created by London-based designers Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves, the GravityLight uses a the bag filled up with sand, rocks or soil as a weight to turn the LED bulb on. It takes only 3 seconds to lift the weight which powers GravityLight, creating 30 minutes of light on its descent. For free.
The GravityLight has the potential to transform the lives of an estimated 1.5 billion people in the World who no reliable access to mains electricity and are suffering from the health risks of burning biomass fuels (mostly kerosene) for lighting. The World Bank estimates that, as a result, 780 million women and children inhale smoke which is equivalent to smoking 2 packets of cigarettes every day. 60% of adult, female lung-cancer victims in developing nations are non-smokers. Burning Kerosene also comes with a financial burden: kerosene for lighting ALONE can consume 10 to 20% of a household’s income. This burden traps people in a permanent state of subsistence living, buying cupfuls of fuel for their daily needs, as and when they can.
Other uses: the GravityLight also can be used in garages, sheds or taken with on a camping holiday!
