According to the World Health Organization, at least 840 million people around the world are without access to electricity, hindering their ability to work beyond daylight hours.
Fisherman can’t fish at night; kids must do their homework by candlelight – which can cause fires; artisans can’t craft at night to fill their orders, and mobile phones cannot be charged.
Wunderman Thompson Colombia and renewable energy start-up E-Dina collaborated on WaterLight – a revolutionary device that can transform half a liter of salt water–or urine in emergency situations – into an incredible 45 days of light.
Acting as a mini power generator, the device can also be used to charge a mobile phone or another small device via its integrated USB port.
The project was designed as a stand-in for solar energy, which is often used to supply remote locations but which is weather dependant.
WaterLight is more efficient than a solar energy lanterns because it regenerates instantly. Once filled with water, the energy delivery is immediate while solar lanterns need to transform solar energy to alternative energy to charge batteries and along all you need sunlight.
WaterLight works 24 hours a day through ionisation, which sees electrolytes in the saline liquid react with magnesium and copper plates on the interior of the lamp to produce electricity.
Although this is a long-established process, E-Dina has patented a way of ionisation that lasts longer than any technology before.
Reference- E-Dina website, Wunderman Thompson Colombia website, DeZeen, Design Week, India Times