Not everyone is a Walking Dead fan. Zombies are something you either love or hate (or kill if you are a real survivor). For those who are fans or watch the show regularly (because your friends or roommates make you) you may have noticed a few interesting things in Season 4.
Amid the drama of survivors fighting off illness and each other and zombies eating flesh, I noticed something quite different this season than previous seasons: technology.
When I say that word technology, most think iPhones, GPS, laptops, but interestingly, technology is much more than electronic devices. Even Amish people use technology, just a different kind than what we typically consider. In shows like The Walking Dead I’ve found it very interesting to see them using a type of technology that has been labeled “Appropriate Technology” by those using it for far longer than myself.
In the episode “Isolation,” we saw use of bicycles for two things. First, they were being used for pumping water rather than using a hand pump or a well. Another was used as a kind of Rube Goldberg machine that distracted the “walkers” while a character (Carol) unclogged a hose that was in a water source for the other bicycle to be able to pump water from.
Here at h.e.a.r.t., we have a few different bike powered technologies. We have a well that is pumped by a bicycle using a similar idea as The Walking Dead. We also have a table saw and a lathe that are powered by someone pedaling a bike.
Dr. Job Ebeneezer, President of Technology for the Poor and Professor of Appropriate Technology at h.e.a.r.t., has developed the plan for this dual purpose bicycle. In this design, the bicycle can be used for both transportation and a power source. In addition to the typical chain wheel that connects the pedals to the tires, a belt wheel is attached to the other side. A simple stand in the back raises the back tire off the ground and prevents the bicycle from moving. Instead, the power generated from pedaling the bicycle is transferred to the belt. That belt can be used to operate saws, lathes, water pumps and many other machines.
Considering pumping water is more important to us here and now than distracting zombies I’ll just talk about pumping water. Bicycles are easy to find anywhere in the world. Hand pumps are not as easy to find, they are harder to maintain, and replacement parts are not as easily accessible. That is what makes bicycle power so sustainable: they are easy to rig, replacement parts are easily accessible and repairs are readily available.
Bike pumps can pump anywhere from 2.5 to 10 gallons per minute. This technology is a very useful and has the potential to change water situations around the world. About the only thing it can’t do is stop a zombie apocalypse.
Post by Michael McDaniel