Google’s ‘Innovate or Die‘ pedal-powered machine contest challenged teams from all over the world to evaluate environmental issues and develop ingenious, climate friendly solutions. Team Aquaduct recently emerged victoriously out of a field of 102 fierce competitors, all of which deserve a serious nod. The winning San Bruno based team consisting of John Lai, Adam Mack, Brian Mason, Eleanor Morgan, Paul Silberschatz tackled water transportation and sterilization with their Aquaduct bicycle.
Essentially the bike can store H2O and purify it during transportation from the source to one’s residence. This not only saves time, but it also cuts down on carbon emissions for those who rely on automobiles to deliver their water. Furthermore, as the water arrives ready to drink, there is no longer a need to burn wood and boil the H2O to ensure sterilization. Team Aquaduct claims that 5000 children die of disease related to water contamination on a daily basis in developing nations, while their invention could put an end to this tragic reality. This begs the question, does the third world need bikes or laptops? Only the almighty Google knows.