Low Cost Technology

One of the biggest obstacles blind and visually impaired people face in science is the ubiquity of important graphical information, which is generally not made available in alternate formats accessible to them. Funded by NASA's Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space Science (IDEAS), we have recently formed a team of scientists and educators from universities, the SOFIA NASA

A rudimentary, low-cost, positive pressure, pulmonary mechanical ventilator with minimal automation may adversely affect the prognosis and medical outcome while possibly giving rise to complications that increase morbidity and mortality in patients of respiratory diseases; while complicating the process of weaning.

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) technology is gaining prominence as a means to alleviate land use conflicts while obtaining large solar PV deployments and simultaneously reducing evaporated water loss. In this study, an open source after-market distributed manufacturing method is proposed to be applied to large flexible PV modules to make flexible FPV systems. Specifically this study considers surface floating of flexible thin film solar PV using three types of closed-cell foams: i) neoprene, ii) mincell and iii) polyethylene. The fabricated FPV underwent indoor and outdoor tests for flotation, wave resistance, temperature and resistance to algae accumulation. The average operational temperature was reduced by 10-20 o C for the FPV compared to land-based mounting indicating substantial increases in electricity output compared to ground-based deployment of any type of PV (2-4% for amorphous silicon used here and 5-10% for crystalline Si based PV). In addition, foam-based FPV racking were also found to reduce costs of racking to $0.37-0.61/W, which is significantly lower than raft-based FPV as well as conventional land-based racking. The results of this preliminary study indicate that foam-backed FPV is exceptionally promising and should be further investigated with different foams, larger systems and more diverse deployments for longer periods to increase PV deployments.

Urban indoor air quality (IAQ) is an international health issue, since city dwellers spend 90% of their time indoors. Research by a number of authors is reviewed here, demonstrating a range of capacities of indoor plants to improve IAQ and promote occupant wellbeing. Our laboratory studies, with nine 'indoor plant' species, and our 'field' studies in 60 offices, show that

This paper aims to design a robust, cheap, effective, retrofit-able and easy to manufacture ABS system for motorcycles in developing countries, such as India. Safety systems for two-wheelers are especially important in such countries, which have some of the world's largest densities of two-wheelers. Multiple papers on similar topics are reviewed, and the best applicable ABS system is devised. Focus is set on small capacity, commuting motorcycles, which form the bulk of the motorcycle population mentioned. Hence, the intention is to deliver an ABS system which is reliable, but can be put together in the most affordable manner. Technically, in this paper the control of the pressure inside the rear brake hydraulic circuit of a motorcycle is considered. An electro-mechanical actuator, controlled by a dedicated ECU, is capable of moving the piston inside the brake master cylinder and is used to achieve the control purpose. This paper proposes a linear model for the hydraulic braking system.

Acanthaster planci commonly known as crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) is a natural predator of hermatypic corals, and it controls fast growing corals like species of Acropora. However, when the density of COTS on a reef reaches such levels that corals are being consumed faster than they can grow-termed as 'outbreak"-then that is the time to engage in controlling COTS population in order to protect and conserve coral communities where fishing and tourism industry like in the Philippines depends on it. The goal of COTS population control techniques is to regulate COTS population outbreak in developing country like the Philippines using environment-friendly, cheap and safe methods. The process of COTS Population control techniques and management strategies includes: 1) baseline information or assessment of COTS population and distribution including spawning season, 2) coordination, and 3) planning with the different stakeholders including the local government units and business sectors, and 4) implementation of COTS population control techniques using cheap concentrated salt solution using improvised COTS gun that is easy to make and install. The total cost for the first operation is PhP 3492.00 or PhP 2.03/starfish, and this will reduce into PhP 1,160.00 PhP 1.2/starfish in the next operation. This is cheaper than bounty system of PhP 5.00-10.00/starfish in Caohagan Island and Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte and SCUBA Diving using dry acid with Veldspar Spot Gun of about PhP 10,050.00 0r PhP 41.00/starfish for the equipment and dry acid.

Maize cultivation gets popularity now-a-days in Bangladesh because of multifarious use of maize as human food and especially in the poultry industries. Maize is cultivated manually which is time consuming, labor intensive and costly. A low cost manually operated push type maize planter was designed, developed and tested in the testing bed of the department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh which reduces these problems. The maize planter consists of two runner wheels, a seed hopper, an inclined plate type seed metering device, a seed tube, a pair of bed former and handle. Power is transmitted from the runner wheel to the metering device through bevel gear mechanism. UniGreen (NK-41) hybrid maize seeds were used to test the planter. The planter was calibrated in the lab to maintain the desired seed rate of 25-30 kg/ha. In the laboratory test, the effective field capacity, field efficiency, average distance of dropped seed, plant population and missing rate were found as 0.128 ha/hr, 76.5%, 22.5 cm, 8 plants/m 2 ,and 13.43% respectively for first maize planter. The operational cost of the first maize planter was achieved as 410 Tk/ha whereas in manual planting of maize it is 5250 Tk/ha, thus the planter may save about 92% cost for maize establishment. The pushing force of the maize planter was 90 N, which is quiet low to operate by a female person. The machine might be acceptable since it is easy to operate, simple in design and mechanism, light in weight, requires less labor and cost of planting after further trial in the farmer's field.

Roofs are two practical manuals of 1991 edited by Yona Friedman, together with Eda Schaur, for the CCSK (communication centre of scientific knowledge for self-reliance) a body of the UN. The manuals were a proposal to solve the housing problem for people in very poor condition and who are generally illiterate. They were originally distributed in the shanti settlements of the indian metropolis. Instead of being mainly written and full of technical drawings, the manuals show different methods for building roofs. The techniques are presented as a series of simple sketches accompanied by a short text. In this paper, Friedman's main ideas will be discussed as well as similar researches carried on by other architects. The aim is to figure out the cultural background underlying Roofs, and to evaluate a possible legacy.

This article reviews progress and developments during the past five years in the field of optical fiber biosensors. Because of the expense and time constraints associated with modern laboratory analysis, there is a growing need for real-time, low-cost technology that can be used industrially, environmentally, and clinically, and to monitor food processing. Miniaturization, integrated systems, and multianalyte determination have become key aspects of sensor development and efforts in this direction will also be discussed, with some pointers to likely directions of future research in the area. The review will provide information about the analytical characteristics and applications of fiber-optic biosensors classified depending on the biorecognition element employed – enzymes, whole cells, antibodies, nucleic acids, and biomimetic polymers.

As Sri Lanka is a small country and as every people living here are not in the same economical, geological and social levels, there are many problems that they have been facing since a long time. Housing is a major problem that required immediate solutions. There are few main problems in housing that identified as Lack of suitable lands for construction, less financial ability, Long construction duration, hi material price, but those can be addressed easily and quickly. By the typical housing methods those problems cannot be solved. So, to address those issues, there is a space in Sri Lankan housing sector for a new method of housing.
Autoclaved lightweight concrete panels + Light gauge steel housing method is trending in the world as a quick, low cost, suits for any conditioned land and durable lightweight construction method. So, according to the characteristics of this housing method, this might be the most suitable method to fulfil the gap and the space that required Sri Lankan Housing.
This research have presented you the details, findings and proven facts to justify the proposal of adapting ALC + LGS housing method to Sri Lanka.

Since ancient times, reeds have been used as a low-tech building material in several construction
purposes. Reed is a natural building materials that possess many useful benefits in contemporary
building practices. Reeds grow around lakes, swamps and other water canals and have no
environmental impact if dismantled after construction as they are biodegradable. Reeds are also easy
to cut and handle making for a flexible material easily used in construction. Similar to several other
building traditions, reed construction is disappearing in many parts of the world, especially now that
there are no serious preservation or documentation attempts. In Egypt, this ancient and traditional
building craft has been common for millennia, and was the predominant building technique in certain
regions until recently. As previously the dwellings and the communal prayer areas of several fishing
villages in Egypt were entirely built using reeds, there is still great potential for reintroducing reed
building techniques to respond to different environmental and economical conditions in specific
regions. This research paper demonstrates how we can revitalize this craft through learning how to
use reeds as a low carbon contemporary building practice.

The objective of this paper is to present an archaeology of the discourse on Islamic fintech to highlight its mimetic character, i.e. the desire to imitate globalized finance to obtain the same thing in terms of prestige. The archaeology of the discourse revealed the following: (i) The difference between the classic Islamic conception of finance and Islamic fintech lies in the mobilization of digital technology innovation in the field of finance. (ii) The difference between Islamic fintech and conventional fintech lies in the compatibility of Islamic financial products and services with Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah. After shedding light on the themes of social innovation and slow technology, the study recommends paying special attention to the notion of design thinking in the sense that it offers the opportunity to imagine solutions through the intersection of analysis, intuition, experimentation, and human connection. It is imperative to invest in local startups to innovate solutions that meet both the needs of users and the ambitions of organizations, while taking care not to destroy social structures, and allowing each person to develop its own specific world (milieu, Umwelt, fûdo 風土).

This paper presents the design and implementation
of a low-cost eye tracking system that allows measuring
the rotational angle of the eye and gaze direction in healthy
individuals. The system consists of an EOG circuit with simple
components that acquire both horizontal and vertical eye
movement through regular all-purpose contact electrodes. Then
the data are analyzed and translated into corresponding angle
values representing the eye rotation angle in both orientations.
Results show that horizontal angle measurements are much
more accurate than vertical measurements. A discussion regarding
the performance and possible improvements is presented.

Spinels form an interesting class of compounds, finding applications in metal-ion batteries and as catalysts for metal−air batteries and fuel cells. Here, we report a fast, template-free solution combustion method to synthesize nanoscale zinc spinels for applications as cathodes in low-cost aqueous zinc-ion batteries and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. It leads to the formation of phase-pure spinels with near spherical nanoscale morphology. Three spinelsZnCo 2 O 4 (ZCO), ZnMn 2 O 4 (ZMO), and ZnMnCoO 4 (ZMCO)were investigated. ZMO and, for the first time, ZMCO were observed to show reversible Zn (de)insertion involving Mn 4+ /Mn 3+ redox couple with a first discharge capacity of 109.4 mAh/g (i.e., >99% of theoretical capacity). Further, these Zn-based spinels showed appreciable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalytic activity. The ORR activity in alkaline solution was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) and was observed to be comparable to Pt/C with similar chronoamperometric stability. This enhanced ORR activity can be rooted to the optimal tuning of Co 3+ −O bond strength because of the presence of Mn 3+. This work presents a robust synthesis route to prepare ZnMnCoO 4 spinel acting as an economic cathode material for large-scale Zn-ion batteries for grid storage applications as well as an efficient and stable alternate ORR catalyst in alkaline solution.

A significant proportion of household sanitation needs for low-income densely-populated settlements of developing countries
is met by pit latrines, which must be either emptied or relocated when full. New latrine construction cost and space scarcity suggest
that pit latrine emptying (PLE) may be the only practical option for the peri-urban poor. PLE, however, has challenges – it is expensive,
not well planned, lack of transportation access to disposal sites, often infeasible use of conventional vacuum truck in overcrowded
and inaccessible areas, poorly maintained vacuum tankers, and poor households are often missed out of services. One of the major
challenges to efficient PLE is technology. Several credible, past and current, literature and bibliographies were gathered to support
the review process. This paper explores, through a review, the limitations and challenges of PLE technologies, prompted by the need
for more efficient pit emptying options and services. The review reveals that the absence of a suitable, hygienic and low-cost method
(preferably mechanical) capable of emptying all pit types remains a technological gap. Developing a solution capable of accessing
densely-populated settlements, efficiently emptying and appropriately disposing of dense sludge (including ‘non-pit elements’), yet
remaining affordable and easy to operate and maintain, is today’s challenge. The author argues that current innovations so far focus
largely on scaling down the conventional vacuum tanker, which may not be the correct way forward, as the fundamental challenge is
that less liquid sludge is difficult to effectively deal with. It is recommended that rather than adopting existing current technologies,
investment in new and innovative non-vacuum-based PLE technologies that use local materials and based on scooping rather than
vacuum action, while drawing lessons from research could be the way forward. The author therefore concludes that a solution may
take time, as difficulties cannot be identified and rectified until technologies are developed, tried and tested for a sufficient period.
However, as more innovations are developed, tested and improved, progress can be made towards a satisfactory PLE solution.

Arduino open-source microcontrollers are well known in sensor applications for scientific equipment and for controlling RepRap 3D printers. Recently low-cost open-source gas metal arc weld (GMAW) RepRap 3D printers have been developed. The entry-level welders used have minimal controls and therefore lack any real-time measurement of welder voltage or current. The preliminary work on process optimization of GMAW 3D printers requires a low-cost sensor and data logger system to measure welder current and voltage. This paper reports on the development of a low-cost open-source power measurement sensor system based on Arduino architecture. The sensor system was designed, built, and tested with two entry-level MIG welders. The full bill of materials and open source designs are provided. Voltage and current were measured while making stepwise adjustments to the manual voltage setting on the welder. Three conditions were tested while welding with steel and aluminum wire on steel substrates to assess the role of electrode material, shield gas, and welding velocity. The results showed that the open source sensor circuit performed as designed and could be constructed for <$100 in components representing a significant potential value through lateral scaling and replication in the 3D printing community.

The aim of this paper is to identify key approaches to housing reconstruction in India which demonstrate success in the: i) (re)building of resilient houses, ii) enabling of household autonomy, and iii) enhancing of artisanal skills over the longer term (i.e. greater than 7 years since disaster). With the rising frequency and complexity of natural hazards, the need for resilience to be 'built in' to housing reconstruction projects is urgent. To achieve the research aim, a mixed methods methodology and 'case study' approach is used. Four good practice reconstruction projects in India are selected for comparative analysis, these are: i) Hodko and Patanka in Gujarat (post 2001 earthquake), and ii) Orlaha and Puraini in Bihar (post 2008 floods). This paper discusses findings from empirical investigations conducted using an analytical lifespan framework with the timescale tools reflecting an Input, Output, Results and Impact examination. The findings suggest that for reconstruction to be successful and, importantly, effective in terms of housing resilience the 'process' must support the confidence of local Figure 1-Figure: Four casestudy reconstruction project sites in the Indian state of Gujarat and Bihar (top left in anticlockwise-Hodko, Patanka in Gujarat; Puraini, Orlaha in Bihar; last photo –Hunnarshala)

Of all the interventions that I have tried the most successful have been Complete Nutrients from the US (Late Lamented Jerry Stoller); Permaculture from Australia; Drip and Sub-soil Irrigation from Israel and Community Associations from Germany and China. I have attempted to introduce a judicious mix of the foregoing specially in Hazara and AJ&K.

Water is an essential resource for life and good health. It is the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. As with most developing countries, access to safe water is a major challenge in Nigeria. Ground water and tap water are the major sources of drinking water. These sources are said to be unsafe which led to the emergence of the packaged and bottled water businesses. These businesses suffer from various socioeconomic challenges such as epileptic power supply, distribution problems, pollution and integrity concerns etc. The aim of this research paper is to examine and discuss socioeconomic impacts of these businesses with a view of identifying the socioeconomic impacts and to extend the existing literature on socioeconomic impacts of these businesses. The main sources of data were journals, conference, text books, newspapers, and the internet sources etc., which were used to review literatures in the water business field. The result shows that the socioeconomic impacts of packaged and bottled water businesses identified in this work were as follows: it provides employment to male, female, young and old people; provides income which increases living condition thereby reducing crime; offers business opportunities and ventures that provide alternative low-cost and hygienic water; provides companies with profits by providing more access to water; engages the small scale (packaged and bottled) water manufacturers thereby increasing government revenue such as Tax etc. and offers water at affordable price due to more access. These impact Nigerians socially, economically and also the business environment from which they operate.

Keywords: Bottled water, Businesses, Nigeria, Packaged Water and Socioeconomic Impacts etc.

Physical inactivity leads to a high risk of medical complications and triggering substantial health care expenses. The goal of the project within which the research is conducted is to explore the effect of the use of nudges to dissuade individuals from physical inactivity. This study is aimed to design and develop a zero/low-cost nudging mHealth intervention that allows users to check their time with normative messages when walking. This intervention is then utilised for individuals to investigate whether it stimulates physical activity. The design of the nudging intervention is followed by an iterative Design Thinking process. The result of the pilot study has shown us that participants highlighted personal normative message installed as a screensaver in a smartphone as a zero-cost solution to dissuade their physical inactivity. Our future effort is to access this intervention by experimental design studies with quantitative and qualitative surveys, which will be carried out with students to measure physical activity behavioural change.