January 08, 2004

By: Adalie Schnider
Website: http://www.1st-in-batteries.com

BCIT grads harness solar power to help improve landmine removal

It's simple. It's durable. It runs on solar power. And it could play a part in addressing one of the most pressing problems in war-torn countries: removing old landmines. A team from the B.C. Institute of Technology has designed a cheap and rugged solar battery charger for landmine detectors, a system that promises to make it more efficient to locate the deadly devices.

Graduates Colin Wilson, 30, and Matt Greig, 22, tied for the top prize in a national technology competition run by Mines Action Canada, a coalition of more than 40 organizations dedicated to banning landmines around the world; they share the top spot with a team from the University of Waterloo. These days the two are working on solar power research and other projects at the BCIT Technology Centre, where in between their regular duties they've now completed refining and building the charger.

"Solar power and battery chargers don't always get along together," says Greig, who combines his skills in electrical engineering with Wilson's background from the BCIT robotics program. "It's not terribly easy to do."

But its impact could be significant.

Civilian demining crews in counties such as Angola, Somalia and Sudan rely on detectors powered by conventional alkaline batteries, which may be easily exhausted, costly or hard to find. A reliable solar charger costing just $200 would save as much as $2,400 a year -- a massive sum in developing countries -- powering rechargeable NiCad batteries for four landmine detectors.

Altogether the BCIT pair spent roughly three weeks on the project, where usability and durability were critical considerations, says Wilson. "You're designing something for non-technical users in a developing country -- you have to make it as simple as possible so anyone can understand it."

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About The Author:

Adalie Schnider is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-batteries.com.  A great resource for batteries of all kinds including camcorder, laptop,cell phone and more.