Can you imagine buying watt-hour power from a cart that looks like a supermarket? Well, far from being part of a dystopian future, this invention aims to make this scenario a reality.
Hurricane María that hit Puerto Rico in September 2017 would have killed more than 4,600 people, a figure that is about 70 times higher than the official estimate of deaths, according to an investigation carried out by Harvard University (USA). .). In addition, due to the devastation of the hurricane, many citizens still do not have electricity, a situation that gave an idea to the industrial designer and furniture manufacturer Alexandre Díez Gradín.
“In the Caribbean, we know a thing or two about hurricanes or that’s what we thought. Hurricane Maria was different. We thought we were going to be out of control for just a couple of weeks and that after a month we were going to live again. not only a stronger hurricane, but also a logistical nightmare that revealed new needs and problems in times of devastation. “ We realized that now telecommunications is one of the main things we want to be able to use, now we have smartphones and social networks
The situation left by the hurricane made it difficult not only to find food and water, but also a power outlet to work and to recharge the computers or at least the mobile phone.
Díez Gradín observed that the survivors crowded in queuing before the discovery of a plug, hence having a device that supplies electricity in situations like this is more than important.
Thus began the design of CarretOn PowerHub. Based on the traditional carts of street vendors and “instead of food, ice cream or drinks, CarretOn provides renewable energy and sustainability as a product”. It is a platform that can be used in public spaces; With batteries up to 1260Wh it can charge many cell phones, laptops or even medical equipment. It also has two small 25-watt solar panels that can refill the batteries.
The designer is also working on a model with more solar panels and adequately sized batteries to work completely independently.
On this model, the mahogany top acts as a work station, where everyone can gather to recharge the batteries and perhaps work while they are connected. If pushing the cart is not desired, it is designed to fit in a compatible SUV or vehicle.
Although we find it shocking to think about having to buy electricity from a vendor’s cart like the one that buys a bottle of fresh water on the beach, the truth is that ingenious designers like Alexandre Díez Gradín are trying to fill that void left after the disaster of the hurricane in Puerto Rico, something that could also serve for equally desolate areas.
