720560GRAVITYLIGHT: An innovative, off-grid device that that transforms the pull of gravity into electricityClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKGravityLight is an innovative approach to off grid power, generating power from a suspended mass which as it falls provides 25 minutes of lighting or power to small electronic devices. The key benefits of GravityLight are on-demand lighting & power with no running costs. This compares with conventional off-grid solutions such as solar or kerosene that are dependent on the weather &/or are costly. There are three target markets namely: households in developing countries with no, insufficient or unreliable grid power; disaster relief; and a retail market catering to individuals requiring light & power for off-grid situations or power outages. We have developed an initial proof of concept device (GL01) that has successfully completed initial 4 week overseas field trials. This proved the concept of GravityLight and the feasibility of generating light from a falling weight as an affordable alternative to kerosene lamps. The device was well received, 90% said they would use them in place of kerosene lamps. This device has significant commercial & environmental potential – globally 1.3 billion people live without electricity & many rely on harmful & expensive kerosene for light. This project will build on lessons learnt from GL01 & develop robust, low cost, effective, preproduction prototypes suitable for mass production. Following trials with GL01 we must address the following technical issues: - Develop the GravityLight to achieve a production cost of <£4 per unit, ex-works. - Improve mechanical robustness & reliability of the entire device & gear mechanism to give a lifespan of >2 years - Increase the system efficiency, duration & brightness of light produced; - Introduce a low voltage DC feed to power ancillary devices. A project plan has been developed, in consultation with relevant parties, to address the above issues. The target endpoint is the production of 200 prototype devices for field trials to demonstrate the market potential for this exciting product idea