Human power

Devices operated by human power (generally hand or foot) perform valuable functions without the need for:

• electricity or fuel (other than food)
• motors, thus saving money
• complex maintenance which is often needed for high-tech, motorized equipment.

They include well-known examples such as bicycles and hand-pumps, as well as more unusual devices such as radios and washing machines.

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Effectiveness and practicality

Modern devices have become more efficient, and can store energy:

Freeplay Energy, which was formed in 1995, sells a human-powered flashlight lantern and human-powered radios. Cranking the handle on its newest handheld radio for 30 seconds yields about 45 minutes of play (larger models play for an hour with 30 seconds of cranking). The same effort provides three to six minutes of light from the Freeplay lantern.^[1]

Examples

See these examples at Wikipedia:

• Spring-based energy storage radio^W
• Hand pump^W. Older systems are also hand-operated (e.g. rope and pulley) but have disadvantages in cleanliness, and probably in effort required to lift the same amount of water.
• treadle pump^W
• Roundabout PlayPump^W
• Malian peanut sheller^W
• Children's Machine^W from One Laptop per Child, expected to come with an optional hand or foot operated generator.

See also

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• Animal-powered devices
• Washing and drying clothes

External links

• Pedal Power at CCAT
• Human Powered Appliances discussion at bikeforums.net