Can you imagine buying energy at watt-hour from a shopping 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 Maria that hit Puerto Rico in September 2017 would have killed more than 4,600 people, a figure some 70 times higher than the official estimate of deaths, according to research conducted by Harvard University (USA). .). In addition, because of the destruction of the hurricane, many citizens still have no 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 just a couple of weeks and that after a month we were going to live again Normally, Maria was 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 use, now we have smartphones and social networks
The situation left by the hurricane made it not only difficult to find food and water, but also an outlet that worked in which to recharge computers or at least the mobile phone.
Díez Gradín observed that the survivors were crowding in line at the discovery of a plug, hence having a device that provides electricity in situations like this is more than important.
This is how the CarretOn PowerHub design started. 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 you can charge many cell phones, laptops or even medical equipment. It also has two small 25-watt solar panels that can fill batteries.
The designer is also working on a model with more solar panels and batteries of adequate size to work completely independently.
In this model, the mahogany top acts as a work station, where everyone can gather to recharge the batteries and maybe work while they are connected. If you do not want to push the cart, it is designed to fit in an SUV or compatible vehicle.
Although it is shocking to think of having to buy electricity from a vendor's cart like buying a bottle of fresh water on the beach, the truth is that ingenious designers such as Alexandre Díez Gradín are trying to fill the void left after the disaster of the hurricane in Puerto Rico, something that could also serve for equally desolate areas.