I subscribe to email from a website, The Grommet, that alerts people to new, clever, practical inventions.
One of their newest is The Atom from Siva Cycle Products. It allows a person to use his bicycle as a means of powering mobile devises. Homeless people have tech devises – cellphones, typically – that they need to keep charged, but often don’t have ready access to an electrical current.
At the Mission – at least when I was there – there was a big rush, when the gate opened each evening at 5pm for fellows to get to an area on the south side of the building to attach extension cords to electrical outlets there to power up phones and ankle bracelets.
For the many homeless folk who have a bicycle, an Atom could be a great aid. It attaches to a wheel of a bicycle to generate electricity. It can charge many devises directly, or it can be used to power a battery devise to store power such to charge a devise later.
I am also thinking that it could be a great help for homeless guys who have ankle bracelets. These devises must always be charged and operating, otherwise the fellow is sure to promptly receive a visit from a man wearing a badge. I know many of the guys have panicky days when they can’t find an available outlet to keep their bracelet charged. Creating their own power might be a great help.
The Atom costs $129 which is a lot for the great majority of homeless people, but many have relatives and friends that are willing (and often eager) to help their homeless brother/ sister/ friend. And, too many guys are earning money in the myriad ways that's possible: employment; temporary employment; collecting bottles and cans; general assistance; etc.
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| Devise attaches to bike's back wheel. |
At the Mission – at least when I was there – there was a big rush, when the gate opened each evening at 5pm for fellows to get to an area on the south side of the building to attach extension cords to electrical outlets there to power up phones and ankle bracelets.
For the many homeless folk who have a bicycle, an Atom could be a great aid. It attaches to a wheel of a bicycle to generate electricity. It can charge many devises directly, or it can be used to power a battery devise to store power such to charge a devise later.
I am also thinking that it could be a great help for homeless guys who have ankle bracelets. These devises must always be charged and operating, otherwise the fellow is sure to promptly receive a visit from a man wearing a badge. I know many of the guys have panicky days when they can’t find an available outlet to keep their bracelet charged. Creating their own power might be a great help.
The Atom costs $129 which is a lot for the great majority of homeless people, but many have relatives and friends that are willing (and often eager) to help their homeless brother/ sister/ friend. And, too many guys are earning money in the myriad ways that's possible: employment; temporary employment; collecting bottles and cans; general assistance; etc.
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