Alfredo Moser's invention is lighting up the
world. In 2002, the Brazilian mechanic had a
light-bulb moment and came up with a way of
illuminating his house during the day without
electricity - using nothing more than plastic
bottles filled with water and a tiny bit of
bleach.
In the last two years his innovation has
spread throughout the world. It is expected to
be in one million homes by early next year.
So how does it work? Simple refraction of
sunlight, explains Moser, as he fills an empty
two-litre plastic bottle.
"Add two capfuls of bleach to protect the
water so it doesn't turn green [with algae].
The cleaner the bottle, the better," he adds.
Wrapping his face in a cloth he makes a hole
in a roof tile with a drill. Then, from the
bottom upwards, he pushes the bottle into the
newly-made hole.
"You fix the bottle in with polyester resin.
Even when it rains, the roof never leaks - not
one drop."
"An engineer came and measured the light,"
he says. "It depends on how strong the sun is
but it's more or less 40 to 60 watts," he says.
The inspiration for the "Moser lamp" came to
him during one of the country's frequent
electricity blackouts in 2002. "The only places
that had energy were the factories - not
people's houses," he says, talking about the
city where he lives, Uberaba, in southern
Brazil.
Moser and his friends began to wonder how
they would raise the alarm, in case of an
emergency, such as a small plane coming
down, imagining a situation in which they had
no matches.
His boss at the time suggested getting a
discarded plastic bottle, filling it with water
and using it as a lens to focus the sun's rays
on dry grass. That way one could start a fire,
as a signal to rescuers. This idea stuck in
Moser's head - he started playing around,
filling up bottles and making circles of
refracted light.
Soon he had developed the lamp.
"I didn't make any design drawings," he says.
"It's a divine light. God gave the sun to
everyone, and light is for everyone. Whoever
wants it saves money. You can't get an
electric shock from it, and it doesn't cost a
penny."
Moser has installed the bottle lamps in
neighbours' houses and the local supermarket.
While he does earn a few dollars installing
them, it's obvious from his simple house and
his 1974 car that his invention hasn't made
him wealthy. What it has given him is a great
sense of pride.
"There was one man who installed the lights
and within a month he had saved enough to
pay for the essential things for his child, who
was about to be born. Can you imagine?" he
says.


http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23536914

lalasticlala you need did lamp

Kk

If he comes to Nigeria, he'll become an instant millionaire.

A good idea for favelas and market stalls but not practical during night time.
I remember watching a CNN report on this years ago stating it illuminates thousands of homes in India's poorest slums. I guess any idea introduced to India or China is sure to hit one million users in a short time due to sheer population volume.

charix:
A good idea for favelas and market stalls but not practical during night time.
I remember watching a CNN report on this years ago stating it illuminates thousands of homes in India's poorest slums. I guess any idea introduced to India or China is sure to hit one million users in a short time due to sheer population volume.

not just China and India.,Also Nigeria and Philippines..

nice

You are all right... we need more of such inventions for the poor. as most Africans cannot afford latest technology

ayopo10:
lalasticlala you need did lamp

lalasticlala

ayopo10:
lalasticlala you need did lamp

lalasticlala