Fuel-Cell Technology Leads Charge towards Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award
19 Novembro 2013 - 2:00PM
Business Wire
VOTO brings affordable phone charging and
lighting options to developing countries
The latest recipient of the Proto Labs (NYSE: PRLB) Cool Idea!
Award, VOTO, uses fuel cell technology to transform heat into
electricity that can be used for cell phone charging or LED
lighting. This handheld device is helping bring affordable
electricity to developing countries.
The latest recipient of the Proto Labs
Cool Idea! Award, VOTO, uses fuel cell technology to transform heat
into electricity that can be used for cell phone charging or LED
lighting. (Photo: Business Wire)
The VOTO consists of a fuel cell box, fuel cards, a plastic
handle that houses a NiMH battery, a white LED and electronic
circuitry. Users insert the supplied fuel cards, wood, charcoal,
food waste, or even cow dung into the fuel cell box, which is then
placed into the middle of a cook stove. Once the stove is lit and
the fuel cell box heats up, electricity is captured and stored in
the NiMH battery. After the fire cools, the VOTO is disconnected
and is ready to charge a phone or power its built-in LED light.
According to Point Source Power, the company behind VOTO, Africa
alone has more than 650 million mobile phone subscribers, most of
which do not have electricity in their homes, and must travel to
charge them. Additionally, kerosene lamps are the current standard
for home lighting. “We intend to displace dirty, toxic and
expensive kerosene lamps with an intuitive LED lighting and
phone-charging product that people enjoy using, and which is
affordable to the billions of people living without access to
modern electricity,” says Craig Jacobson, Point Source Power
CEO.
“The VOTO solves an ever-present problem facing residents of
developing nations through practical means. By incorporating a
device that’s already used in daily life – a cook stove – this
product brings increased quality of life to residents of those
countries,” says Larry Lukis, Founder and Chairman of Proto
Labs.
Before applying to the Cool Idea! Award, Point Source Power
produced nearly 100 prototypes built of parts sourced from big box
home repair stores to those made with 3D printers. “We turned to
Proto Labs because we needed a professional-looking product that
would allow us to move forward with broader sales and
distribution,” Jacobson says. As part of the Cool Idea! Award,
Proto Labs produced molds and subsequent production of the parts
that make up the VOTO handle.
Launched in 2011, the Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award grants a total
of $250,000 each year to entrepreneurs developing new products in
the United States and Europe. Unlike other product awards that
recognize products after they’re in mass production and on store
shelves, the Cool Idea! Award is meant to help cool ideas come to
life in the form of real products. For more information about the
Cool Idea! Award and how to apply visit
www.protolabs.com/CoolIdea.
About Proto LabsProto Labs (NYSE: PRLB) is a leading
online and technology-enabled quick-turn manufacturer of low-volume
CNC-machined and injection molded custom parts for prototyping and
short-run production. The company provides “Real Parts, Really
Fast” to product developers worldwide and has two quick-turn
services in North America, Europe and Japan: Firstcut
(www.firstcut.com) CNC machining and Protomold (www.protomold.com)
injection molding. Both are capable of providing parts in as fast
as one business day. Product developers who use Proto Labs for
prototypes and short-run production can upload a 3D CAD file at any
one of Proto Labs online sites, get an interactive quote and place
an order for Proto Labs services directly online. For more
information, go to www.protolabs.com.
About Point Source PowerPoint Source Power makes fuel
cell systems that generate electricity from renewable biomass for
people without access to an electric grid. The company works with
families in developing countries to ensure its products are
culturally relevant, intuitive to use and financially accessible.
For more information on Point Source Power, the VOTO and its
capabilities, check out www.pointsourcepower.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20131119006180/en/
Proto LabsBill Dietrick,
763-479-7664bill.dietrick@protolabs.comorMedia
ContactHotwire for Proto LabsMargot Connor,
646-738-8963margot.connor@hotwirepr.com
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