Pedal-Powered Laptops Tested in Afghanistan

Pedaled-powered laptops for school children in Afghanistan.

We've always been a been of the OLPC initiative. It's hard not to like an organisation that works so hard to help educate children in developing countries but what we like most are the innovative solutions the OLPC team comes up with when faced with problems.

This week OLP Afghanistan, which has been running for about a year, announced a few technical developments, one being a prototype for a pedal-powered version of XO laptop. Previously, machines deployed in areas where power is an issue have been charged via a hand-crank. However, OLPC Afghanistan has taken the Freeplay hand crank and connected it to the feet, which can more easily provide power. OLPC says doing so should make it much easier to deploy the laptop to countryside / rural areas.

Check out the video below.

For more on what OLPC Afghanistan is up to, check out the rest of the blog post by clicking here.