Nomad Press Kit Low Res 2

8/8/2019 Nomad Press Kit Low Res 2

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P r o j e c t I n f o r m a t i o n K i t

c o n t a c t : s k e n n e d y @ k v a r c h . n e t

w w w . t c a u p . u m i c h . e d u / p o r t a b l e l i g h t

PORTABLE LIGHT

PORTABLE LIGHT is an interdisciplinary research, design and

engineering initiative to create and implement new models for en-

ergy efficient electrical power and lighting. The Portable Light proj-

ect was created by MATx, the pioneering materials research unit of

Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. (KVA) in collaboration with in-

dustry leaders and leading universities in engineering and design.

Portable Light applies creative processes and strategic integrativethinking to optimize existing semi-conductor technologies and cre-

ates new applications to serve the large number of people --more

than 2 billion-- who do not have access to electric light or power.

PORTABLE LIGHT expands the value of miniature solid state

electronics by designing a new material form for light--—a cost-

effective, de-centralized textile lighting infrastructure made up of

many small, portable and interactive photovoltaic energy sources.

Portable Light units may be used separately or aggregated together

to create larger arrays of light and power. With no glass light bulbs,

fragile parts or heavy, large solar panel equipment to ship and trans-port, the textile medium is adaptable to the needs and practices of

many different cultures, efficient in its use of energy, ease of trans-

portation and implementation, and versatile in its multiple uses as

a textile product which offers the production efficiencies of large

run textile manufacturing. Lightweight, easily rolled or compressed,

readily shipped, transported and carried, Portable Light prototypes

provide up to 160 lumens of white digital light and can be deployed

at a global scale for education, household health and economic pro-

duction and community practices.

1 Huichol child writes under prototype light source

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PORTABLE LIGHT

PORTABLE LIGHT IN THE SIERRA MADRE will

enable Huichol women to harvest electrical power from the sun, own

and carry their own light with them, and use it to improve literacy,

create better options for education, increase household income

and improve family health and nutrition. This pilot project will

create immediate, direct and tangible benefits for Huichol women

and their families—bringing light to serve a collective community

group of more than 300 people in the Huichol Sierra. Portable Light

in the Sierra Madreis the result of two years of research, prototyping,

and field work in the Mexican Sierra conducted in collaboration

with Huichol Community leaders, an international advisory group

of anthropologists and non-profit organizations.

The Huichol (Wirrárica) are one of the few indigenous groups in

Mexico to have maintained a living practice of Mesoamerican textileweaving, thatch and wood braiding traditions. The Huichol are a

semi-nomadic culture, traveling 400 miles on annual pilgrimages

to the Pacific, the Sierra Oriental, and different Sierra farm lands in

the wet and dry seasons. In the last three decades, the arrivals of

airstrips and roadways have threatened Huichol traditional ways of

life and the natural resources of their lands. Many Huichol men (and

families) now travel to seek work as day laborers in the tobacco fields

in Nayarit, where they are exposed to toxic pesticides. As household

heads, women must often tend ranchos alone and provide for their

children and elders. The infrastructure for centralized electricity

is too costly to construct in the mountainous Huichol territory. To

access electric light for education or employment, the Huichol mustleave the lands they own, on which their culture is centered, and

relocate to fixed townships outside the Sierra. With little preparation

for participation in the industrialized economy, Huichol cultural

autonomy, social infrastructure and community self-sufficiency --

particularly among Huichol women and their families-- have been

severely threatened by extreme poverty and lack of opportunities

for education and household economic development.1 Map of Mexico showing Chapalagana Huichol land

2 Woman planting corn, wearing a k+tsiuri (carrying b

3 Mother and child weaving on ‘itsari (backstrap loom)

4 Traditional Huichol communal ceremony

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PORTABLE LIGHT

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The KVAMATX PORTABLE LIGHT PROTOTYPE Reading

Mat embodies the core technology and design integration concepts

of the PORTABLE LIGHT project. The prototype integrates high

brightness solid state lighting (HBLEDs) and flexible photovoltaic

(solar cell) technology in a textile medium that weighs less than 8

ounces. With no heavy or breakable glass parts, the Reading Mat canbe rolled or folded for shipping or transport and is easily carried on

the body in clothing or equipment. The Portable Light Prototype is a

fully self-contained and renewable light engine powered by flexible

photovoltaic panels which produce up to 12 volts of DC electrical

power and 160 lumens of light in five hours of charge time.

The soft form of the Portable Light Prototype is versatile and

physically adaptable for a variety of reading, writing and work tasks.

By day, users can harvest and store electrical energy from sunlight.

At night, the Reading Mat emits up to four hours of white, digital

light. Innovative electronics optimize the efficiency of the solidstate lighting and the optical properties of the textile integration

design maximize the usable light output. The KVA MATx Reading

Mat prototype makes possible a cost-effective, de-centralized

textile lighting infrastructure made up of many small, portable

and interactive photo-voltaic energy sources which may be used

separately or aggregated together to create larger arrays of light

and power.

1 Woman examining prototype on ground

2 Side A - lluminating surface of prototype

3 Side B - Integral flexible solar cells and power storage

4 View into illuminated surface with HBLED spotligh

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Design Research Team:

Sheila Kennedy, KVA MATx

Sloan Kulper, KVA MATx

Tonya Ohnstad, KVA MATx

Casey Smith, Resonon, Inc.

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PORTABLE LIGHT

1 Huichol children write under light of prototype

2 Child sits with book on Reading Stool

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The PORTABLE READING STOOLprototype integrates photovoltaic

energy harvesting capabilities in a

collapsible folding stool with a textile

tension structure and a tubular frame

Four hours of solar charge time

provides two and a half hours of 80

lumens of white solid state lighting

bright enough to read and write with

The Reading Stool design builds off thetradition of personal stools made by the

Huichol to provide comfort by keeping

people off the cold ground. The stool is

constructed of one continuous piece of

fabric to minimize waste and folds into

a 12” x 20” four pound backpack.

During the day, the prototype absorbs

energy from the sun and functions in

the typical fashion of portable seating

At night the stool becomes a portable

center for education. Reading Stools

may be used by individuals or may be

grouped together to form a community

based school settings which provide

users with high quality digital light

suitable for reading, drawing and

writing. Digital light within the textile

surface can be positioned by the use

to create hands free illumination of the

work surface.


Sheila Kennedy, Principal Investigator,

Saarinen Visting Professor, University of Michigan

Frano Violich, Saarinen Visting Professor, University of Michigan

Keith VanDerSys, Lecturer, University of Michigan

Erin Crowe, University of Michigan

Santosh Kugunnavar, University of Michigan

Cynthia Strawn, University of Michigan

Chris Wilson, University of Michigan






PORTABLE LIGHT

1 Frano Violich discusses the prototype with communit

2 Portable Workshop set up for handwork

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The PORTABLE WORKSHOPprototype integrates photovoltaic

energy harvesting capabilities with

solid state lighting in a foldable textile

workspace weighing 14 ounces. The

Portable Workshop provides two and

one half hours of digital light at 160

lumens with approximately fours

hours of charge time. The design

harvests energy from sunlight in twouse configurations. The prototype

can be worn as a sash with photocells

positioned across the shoulder or it can

be unfolded and opened as a canopy to

expose the photocells for charging and

provide a shaded work area.

During the night, the textile form can

be configured to provide the use

with a choice of ambient or direct task

light suitable for small scale craftwork

beading, sewing and repair activities The Portable Workshop can be worn

on the body, where it provides hands

free lighting as a way finding benefit fo

Huichols, who often travel at night.






Patricia Gruits, University of Michigan

Jason O’Mara, University of Michigan

Stanford Richins, University of Michigan






PORTABLE LIGHT

1 Kelly Rohr demonstrates prototype in Huichol kitchen

2 Community Bag set up as lantern

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The COMMUNITY POWER BAGprototype generates solar electrica

power for white solid state lighting for

community groups of up to six persons

in an expandable textile enclosure

weighing 2.5 pounds. Approximately

four hours of charge time provides

two and half hours of digital light

at 80 lumens from six individua

textile lanterns. These sources maybe combined to create 480 lumens o

digital light for community gatherings

and trades such as tortillerías, bakeries

and repair workshops.

In its energy harvesting position, the

prototype unfolds from a portable

shoulder bag to a solar charging

canopy that absorbs sunlight. The use

can choose to direct the solar electricity

to a large capacity battery (car battery)

or to power the smaller rechargeablebatteries of six detachable digital light

candles, integrated in textile lanterns

arrayed about the perimeter of the bag

The portable digital candles can be used

independently for small task lighting

and are designed to fit into traditiona

Huichol textile bags and chest pendant

pouches. When the digital candle runs

out of power it is reattached to the

Community Power Bag and recharged

from the larger battery. With six digitacandles available per Community

Power Bag, one digital candle can be

exchanged for another, providing light

throughout the evening for up to 15

hours.






Charles Garcia, University of Michigan

Jenna Quirk , University of Michigan

Kelly Rohr, University of Michigan






PORTABLE LIGHT

1 Huichol observers pass around small light prototype

during presentation

2 Jenna Quirk presents a portable light prototype to a

Huichol audience in Huejuquilla

“I am grateful that you all came to the Hu-

ichol village. You people are getting theidea that it is really hard for us here. We

don’t have light. We can only work dur

ing the day. Because now, as you see, we

can’t see, it’s still so early but it’s too dark

to do anything. We just wait for the sun to

come up again.

The government lighting system is really

expensive. It cost the government a lot to

bring the grid out here. But even so, where

we live, we can’t get electricity because

we live a far distance from the grid. So

in reality, the government system doesn’

do anything for us. We wanted to be left

alone in the lands we own and we never

wanted to have roads like we have now.

Having electricity would bring us a lot of

good things and a lot of bad things. The

elders and the counsel members accept

electrification so that we can take advan-

tage ourselves of our own land withou

outside influences, but that is impossible.

Your visit here is extremely significant be-

cause it could grow into something much

bigger. We see here by your examples on

a small scale what solar light can mean

to us. This can be a huge step forward for

us... I wish you the best of luck to make

it a bigger project so that it really can

meet the needs of the people, so we can

conserve the integrity of our lifestyle and

not be pressured by the government to

accept things that we don’t want to haveThanks so much for coming. “

Remarks from Miquel Carrillo Gonsalez,

Huichol Community Leader

April 2005

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Nomad Press Kit Low Res 2

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