crowfunding similar to solar roadways - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Holister
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 15, 2016, 03:14:06 pm
content: Hi, I have seen your videos of the solar roadways and I think this campaignhttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/let-s-lightup-africa-power-of-footsteps-the-sun-solar-technologyis very similar to what was presented in that campaign.Is it possible the community can analyze this new crowfunding from a technical perspective?I think that piezo-electric systems do not give much current when activated, but I do not know the technical specifications.Thank you.

author: ericloewe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 15, 2016, 09:35:17 pm
content: tl;dr - walking on those surfaces requires more energy.Next snake oil question.

author: Gavin Melville
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2016, 06:24:14 pm
content: http://luxreview.com/article/2016/11/meet-the-streetlights-that-are-powered-by-footstepsHmmmmmmm. 5 watts per step. Imagine what a pair of shoes could do....

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 01, 2016, 06:32:38 pm
content: QuoteI don't see how this could be a valid claim. Watt is power, not a unit of energy. Therefore without saying for how long time, this does not provide any information. Staying on the tile cannot produce any constant energy as well.

author: The Soulman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2016, 07:38:50 pm
content: Ah yes, they must have meant 5 Watt WLS.WhenLightningStrikes!

author: Inflex
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2017, 03:36:56 pm
content: Using beloved 1990's audio nonclementure , "5W PMPO"Garden solar lights probably would convert & retain more sitting at the side of the pavement.

author: tpowell1830
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2017, 03:46:18 pm
content: PEACE===>T

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2017, 03:53:36 pm
content: Quote

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2017, 02:48:12 am
content: If it's on IndieGogo.... well.... enough said.And they want $300,000?Notice it is flexible goal which means they keep the money even if never reaching it. As far as their campaign goes... I'm not sure what they are trying to do. Install smart street lights (those solar-powered street lamps with USB chargers) and add some kind of piezo component to the ground next to the light to collect a few more electrons?The lamps seem like a decent enough idea. I believe they could do the trick. Collect sunlight all day, charge up a battery, then use an LED array lamp to illuminate at night. Any extra juice can also power any USB devices plugged in. Ok, sounds fine there. But the piezo-sidewalk elements are a gimmick, I don't think they would do anything comparable to the solar panel.So they want to install 10 of these in Africa.... at $30,000 a piece. And provide WiFi. I don't know..., sounds like the money could be put to better use. For example, give everyone one of those emergency rechargeable hand-crank radios with a solar panel and USB output to charge phones. At bulk, you could maybe get something decent for $50 a pop? For $300,000 you'd get 6000 of these. You would help way more people than just 10 locations.Better yet.... design your own radio that would be about $50 normally (or rebrand some Chinese OEM), set up a KICKSTARTER and charge $100 to each buyer, but say in your campaign that it is buy 1 donate 1... so actually when you contribute $100, the Backer actually gets a radio for themselves, and another radio gets donated to Africa (to justify the higher price). You could probably get that $50 retail radio made for $20 if you order enough (say 15,000 pieces)... that's $300,000... and give 7500 backers their radios, and 7500 Africans their radios. Charge the 7500 backers about $100 each and you'll have $750,000, even turning out a decent profit.If those dudes from Light-Phone can sell $20 GSM G2 obsolete card phones to people for $100, and raise over $400,000, then surely something like this campaign with "eco" and "poor" and "Africa" and "children" all over it could gain huge momentum from a crowd-funding campaign. But of course, just like solar-roadways and some of those other stupid projects out there, they aren't really designed to help the poor at all... Just a dumb make-work project for a bunch of rich start-ups looking to gain more investors.