OLPC experiments with cow-powered generator for laptops

While the OLPC Foundation is no stranger to unconventional power sources, a team working in a village near Mumbai now looks to be taking things to a whole new level, with them currently experimenting with a cow-powered generator to keep the laptops charged up. According to OLPC's Arjun Sarwal, the makeshift rig uses a system of belts and pulleys to drive a dynamo taken from an old Fiat, with the cows (which are plentiful in the area) providing all the necessary brute force. Sarwal apparently turned to the cows after solar, wind, and water power proved to be unfeasible, and a gas-powered motor proved to be too expensive. No word if he also considered that other form of cow power.

[Photo courtesy of Arjun Sarwal]

[Fatima @ Oct 25th 2007 7:02PM]

I wonder if its in a circular motion..kinda like how in Europe they use Donkey's to turn wheels in shops. (ie: like in Pirates of the Caribbean..swoard fight in weapon smith shop with drunk guy)

[Andrew @ Oct 26th 2007 2:55AM]

A bit over-generalizing there. Donkey's were not that common in Europe as a whole. But if you say Spain I'll agree with you. And if you have a look at the Asses in the world (2003) it gets even more interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2003ass.PNG

[Roberto @ Oct 25th 2007 7:20PM]

I wonder how many horsepowers you can get from a cow.

The meat must be tastiest if the cows exercise every day: no fat.

[jimmyfinch @ Oct 25th 2007 7:43PM]

"The meat must be tastiest if the cows exercise every day: no fat."

fat = flavor

exercise = tough and full of connective tissue

It would make a tasty braise though.

[Mikey @ Oct 25th 2007 8:12PM]

Tough meat does come from old/worked cows, but braising is not the only way to tenderize tough cuts.
The connective tissue can also be mechanically (cut in small pieces across the grain, or by using machines that use tons of needles to cut fibers apart) and chemically broken (Acids & enzymes).

[Jake @ Oct 25th 2007 10:26PM]

well, killing a cow in India is illegal; so no meat there.

they're religiously sacred.

[Jason @ Oct 26th 2007 9:25AM]

That depends on how you get the horsepower out.

Burning a cow would produce a lot of energy for a short while, but burning the cow's dung would provide less power for the life of the cow.

You could also tie a rope to the cow, push it off a cliff, and use the falling weight to turn a turbine. Although this would not the best way to get horsepower out of a cow.

[Nihang Shah @ Oct 25th 2007 7:37PM]

Which is that village near Mumbai?

[Andrew @ Oct 25th 2007 7:31PM]

Reminds me of HL 2's spinning blade of death from "We don't go to Ravenholm"

[Kurt MacD @ Oct 25th 2007 9:26PM]

That was TOTALLY the best level of HL2, that game was unlike any other..the only thing is, I don't think the cows are turning blades, although it would be a rather efficient way of butchering the cows, they would basically butcher themselves, wow the ideas.

[pr_master @ Oct 25th 2007 7:32PM]

Is this environmental friendly???

[TIMMAH! @ Oct 25th 2007 7:36PM]

Hmmm... you'd figure that generated electricity would be more valuable to villagers as light (allowing them to do things previously not possible to do after sundown) rather than charging a laptop.

[Fadzlan @ Oct 26th 2007 3:17AM]

True enough. However, it seems light itself does not motivate them enough to find a solution.

Kerosene based lamps would already be good enough for them for most purpose. Looking to generate electricity for powering lamp would seem overkill for them.

[Kaminix @ Oct 26th 2007 1:48AM]

If so they would need some place to store the energy, which sounds pretty expensive.

This is a cheap solution to charging the laptop.

[laszlo meszaros @ Oct 25th 2007 7:46PM]

This makes me wonder?,why don't someone figure out that a item in motion stays in motion unless it is stopped by the force of gravity no-matter what,but that don't make any sence?,gravity,the more the other object moves!,to turn the generator?,the power is put back and being used at the same time?,(MOTOR-GENERATOR),,,,,,that sounds good,the generator runs the (MOTOR)?????what's the problem?

[Josh L @ Oct 25th 2007 8:08PM]

What?

[Mikey @ Oct 25th 2007 8:24PM]

If I understood you correctly, you are proposing we use a form of a perpetual motion machine to produce power. (generator runs a motor that runs another generator)

As far as I am aware, this is imposable. While energy can not be made or destroyed, it does change forms. Due to friction, some of the electrical energy will be turned to heat by the motor. This energy will not be reclaimed when changed back to electrical energy by another generator.

Did I get what you meant right? Does any one agree with my reasoning? Have more to add/corrections?

[Wolfticket @ Oct 25th 2007 8:44PM]

In this comments section we obey the laws of thermodynamics!

[laszlo meszaros @ Oct 25th 2007 9:12PM]

allright now,,the impossible allways takes a little longer. The energy that is produced by the (generator)will power the (motor) portion of the (motor-generator),why can't anyone figure out why it takes so-mutch power to do this. The (generator)that produces the power,powers the motor that in turn produces the (energy),no-matter what,you get some kind of (energy) that can be used. In the mean time we will have to live with the fact that,(gererators)can produce some kind of (energy)take that (energy)and power the (motor)portion of the (motor-generator),harness what is produced in heat to do with what you want. Steam,if you have water?,and that has been used all along. Now,the oil-companies don't want to hear about this kind of thinking. No-matter what,(energy) can be produced from a (generator),power the (motor) with the (energy)from the (generator). Is'nt it that hard to figure out one way or the other,produced (energy) can be made to power a (motor),why,oh why,does'nt someone figure out,(I have) that the (energy)being made will do a lot of things. Take that energy and power the (motor).

[logic @ Oct 25th 2007 10:01PM]

I have no problem with your proposition to power a motor with a generator, but how do you suggest we turn the generator? If you've figured out a way to drive a generator without some sort of mechanical input energy than by all means you should share it. The "evil oil companies" will be glad to commercialize it for you if it is cheaper to produce than gas/oil.

[novaraz @ Oct 25th 2007 10:07PM]

Generators don't "create" energy. "Motors" take electrical or steam power and convert them to motion. "Generators" take in motion (aka the cows above) and converts it to electrical power.

Do your self a favor research Entropy and/or the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

[Reader @ Oct 25th 2007 11:48PM]

8th grade physics (and English) could help you a great deal.

[Kevin @ Oct 26th 2007 7:18AM]

What you are suggesting can not be done without something like superconductors. Considering the people we're talking about, and the fact that they don't have plain old electricity, Superconductors are out of the question.

[Ras Thavas @ Oct 25th 2007 7:57PM]

Need more cowbell!

[David @ Oct 25th 2007 8:37PM]

I thought it was some bio-initiative to generate fuel out of the cow pies.

[Wolfticket @ Oct 25th 2007 8:40PM]

People in Africa should come up with a way that rich people in the US can power their iPhone/laptop/portable deep fat fryer by other people driving their SUVs round in a circle.

[Kevin @ Oct 26th 2007 7:20AM]

1. Capture CO2 from car emissions
2. ???
3. Profit!

[steve @ Oct 25th 2007 9:56PM]

Aren't cows a major source of methane? Can't they use that to generate power?

[kev @ Oct 25th 2007 10:31PM]

They need to develop a CFE - Cow Fart Engine

[ethana2 @ Oct 25th 2007 10:58PM]

If they weren't living creatures, that would be a lot less weird.

Hey, steve, do /you/ want to hook the engine up today?

[Dan @ Oct 25th 2007 10:04PM]

btw, I do admire the generosity of the people that do these kinds of things.

[Chais Meyer @ Oct 25th 2007 10:35PM]

can they braid too?
www.3vine.com

[Danger mouse @ Oct 25th 2007 11:03PM]

Put some blades on that thing and make it into a cow-blender of doom.

[KiwiBri @ Oct 26th 2007 8:37AM]

heh heh - reminds me of Borat's Village

[LondonConsultant @ Oct 26th 2007 8:25AM]

A cow-powered generator for laptops. I thought there was going to be a methane tube leading to some kind of burner/generator...

[Saturn @ Oct 27th 2007 2:57PM]

Yeah, lets abuse animals (one more time) to make things happen.

This generator takes OLPC to the seventeenth century.