Vēsma

I am working in a global team of engineers to develop a low-cost pulley-driven ventilation fan, which will help combat the health problems posed by open stove cooking in Tanzania. I am currently researching various fan blade designs to achieve the desired rpm sufficient to clear the air from a Maasai hut. You can find more details about the project below.

 

Overview

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Combining human focused design, with practicality, reliability, and beauty, Vēsma is a simple solution to indoor air pollution.

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Over 3 billion people worldwide cook on open fires. Smoke inhalation can lead to severe respiratory and cardiac problems and birth defects such as cleft palate. Indoor cooking fires have also been linked to blindness in children. Powered by a falling weight, with the additional benefit of a USB charging portal, Vēsma’s fan unit removes smoke and other harmful particulates from enclosed spaces.

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Designed at the request of a Maasai community in East Africa, the key principles behind this project are:

• Durability and maintenance in rural contexts,

• Intuitive and incentivised use for target households,

• Simplicity of design for local manufacturing, distribution and repair, and,

• Culturally aligned aesthetic integrity.

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Drawing from a combined experience working and designing in cross-cultural contexts, the passion for the Vēsma team is to create a product that works and endures in a range of mud, thatch and sheet iron dwellings, and that appeals to its target audience as a functional and aesthetically pleasing addition to their homes.

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Summary of the Technology

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Vēsma units are powered by a falling weight connected to a gearing system that spins a fan to draw smoke and harmful pollutants out of the air. The gearing mechanism is also attached to a USB portal that is able to charge a mobile phone or other small electronic device such as a light or speaker, incentivising the user to continue lifting the weight.

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Specifically adapted to homes with limited structural integrity, the current design iteration is a free-standing unit that can be placed on the ground near the fire, with a pipe to channel the smoke out of the room.

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More details to follow soon! To keep up to date, feel free to subscribe to my blog.