Design exhibition targeting developing world held in NY

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-07-2007 14:02

The National Design Museum in New York is holding an exhibition of myriad design solutions, fashioned specifically for fulfilling the needs of the developing world.

The "Design for the Other 90 Percent" exhibition is intended to help the 90 percent of the world's total population, which often lack the means to purchase even the most basic goods.

The display on Tuesday included the "Q Drum", a durable container designed to roll easily and transport seventy-five liters of clean and potable water.

The Solar Dish Kitchen was first designed specifically for Mexico. It's now also being tested in India. The device can heat food for up to twenty persons.

Also on display were Money Maker Pumps, which families can use to irrigate fruits and vegetables during the dry season.

John Kihia, director of Kickstart, Kenya, said, "This pump really changes people's life, because they add the productivity of their farms, they are able to grow crops throughout the year, they are able to sell that crop in the local market."

There were also bicycles designed to carry heavy loads carried by people in developing countries.

Another object that attracted a great deal of interest was a laptop to be used as an educational tool for children.

The laptop had earlier been priced at 100 dollars, but is now 175 dollars.

Cynthia E. Smith, curator of "Design for the Other 90%" exhibition, said, "The concept was a hundred dollar laptop, the reality is it might cost more initially, but as you go into more and more production, there's going to be some cost savings realized by the scaling up of the project."

Another exhibit was a wireless connection device mounted on a motorcycle. It could provide villagers access to the Internet.

The exhibition will last until late September. Then it will travel for the next two years to other museums nationwide.

Editor:Liu Fang