This document discusses appropriate technology and how makerspaces and hackspaces can help advance it. Appropriate technology focuses on small-scale, labour-intensive, energy-efficient, and locally-controlled solutions. It remains relevant given many lack access to resources. The document outlines benefits of access to energy and issues that can arise. It provides examples of appropriate technology projects and discusses how makerspaces could introduce local production, share knowledge, and help test and fund new ideas to better connect problems to solutions.

1. Makers, Hackspaces and
Appropriate Technology
Matt Little
matt@re-innovation.co.uk
www.re-innovation.co.uk

2. Appropriate Technology
 E F Schumacher – Wrote “Small is beautiful”
 'Appropriate size for everything'
 General idea:
 “encompassing technological choice and
application that is small scale, labour intensive,
energy efficient, environmentally sound and locally
controlled”
 People centred

3. Why is it relevant?
 1 in 4 without access to electricity
 1 in 6 never touched a phone
 1 in 3 has access to a computer
 75% energy used in 'developed' countries
 1 in 5 does not have access to safe drinking
water
 1 in 3 does not have access to adequate
sanitation

4. Why is it relevant?

5. Benefits of access to energy
 Reduced hours spent doing labour intensive tasks
 Improved lighting
 Extended working hours can be economically beneficial
 Less indoor air pollution
 Improved communications
 Improved healthcare
 Improved education
 Reduced time spent on labour intensive tasks
 Access to information
 etc etc

7. Issues
 Reasons why not all technology is
appropriate
 Social
 Political
 Western influence
 Not economic markets
 ….discuss

8. Ideas
 Simple
 Robust
 Local supply and repair
 Local knowledge
 Local skills
 Maintenance
 Modular

9. Examples
 Pedal power:
 In Nepal
www.ecosystemsnepal.com
 In Guatemala
http://www.mayapedal.org/

10. Examples
 Fab Labs:
 Kenya - http://www.fablab.co.ke/
 India - http://www.vigyanashram.com/
 South Africa –
http://web.media.mit.edu/~neilg/neil/06.02.Sosh/


11. Examples
 blueEnergy
 http://www.blueenergygroup.org/?lang=en
 Practical Action
 http://practicalaction.org/

12. How to join makers and AT?
Most folk in remote locations are already
makers and inventors.
 To help with that:
 Introduce production facilities locally
 Place to discuss ideas with high access to
information
 Connect problems to makers
 Design, build and test ideas
 Access to fund and technology

13. How to join makers and AT
 Practical Action
 Geek club
 http://practicalaction.org/geekclub-1
 Wikipedia
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Sustainable_devel
opment
 Engineers Without Borders
 “Small is....” Festival
 http://www.ewb-uk.org/smallis2011

14. Nottingham hackspace
 Proposed Appropriate Technology group
 Meet fortnightly to discuss and work on these
ideas and projects
 Connect with similar groups
 EWB Nottingham branch
 Practical Action Geek Club?

15. Initial project idea
 Micro-hydro power electronic load controller
 Imported unit
 cost/ complexity/ external reliance
 Proposed unit
 modular/ low cost/ local manufacture