Where:
Barcelona, Spain
When: 2014
Who: Mauricio Cordova
Few lines description:
- Is it a device / software / service
FairCap is a device produced with open source technologies.
- Type of community involved (elders, deaf/blind/autism… disability, etc)
The project is designed to make drinkable water for everyone, but keeping an eye on those people (around 1 billion) who don’t have access to drinkable water and therefore are characterized by premature deaths due to this reason.
- How big is the community involved
- What is the solution proposed
- How is the project currently affecting users’ life?
FairCap is a 3D printed filter, the instructions to build it are available to anyone and all the files are easy to download. The project is not completely developed yet, but it is currently available in its basic version. Therefore it is difficult to evaluate the effect on users’s life.
- Is the project developed or still in the development phase?
The project is still in the development phase, anyone can have access to the files and improve them. The team is currently trying to design a filter for bacteria and viruses, and is trying to reduce the cost for producing it to 1$.
- Are there similar projects or attempts to solve the same problem?
There are several: SolarBag ® (http://www.puralytics.com/html/solarBag.php), SOL Water (http://www.coolhunting.com/travel/sol-water-purifying-bag), Solar Water Purifier (http://3dprint.com/15917/3d-printed-water-purification/)
Why:
- How is it open?
- What kind of license did they use to publish it? (links to documentation/repo are welcome)
FairCup is completely open source, available to download and released under Creative Commons licence.
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- Can you clone/fork it?
Yes
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- Is it freely available?
The source files are downloadable for free
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- Is it affordable? (please compare)
The estimated price is around 5$, currently. In the future it will be reduced to 1$. Not even comparable to existing patented and commercialized water filters.
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- Is the community involved in the design process? If yes, how? (is the project offering a solution for the creator needs? Is the project offering a solution for someone close to the creator?)
The founder and designer comes from Peru, he experienced in 90s a massive colera outbreak. The diffusion of diseases like colera often happens through contaminated water.
- How does it “care”?
- Does it solve a medical issue?
- Does it solve a social issue?
- Does it solve an everyday issue for a specific (disadvantaged) community?
Yes for questions 1 and 3, it helps 3rd world countries drinking clean filtered water, giving them access to this primary good and avoiding getting viruses and diseases.
Link: http://faircap.org/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Open-Source-3D-Printed-Water-Filter/