Zambulance: A bicycle ambulance designed and built for the people of Zambia
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| Audience/Grade: | College Freshman-Continuing Education |
| Discipline(s): |
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Community-based Service Learning Design Engineering Mechanics Mechanical Engineering |
| Special Topic(s): |
Appropriate Technology |
| Learning Resource Type: |
Teaching - Case Study |
| Media Type: |
Unknown |
| Author(s): |
Jessica Vechakal |
| Description: | Website about a community-based design product developed through a project-based learning course at MIT. "What is a Zambulance? The Zambulance is an affordable transport option for remote areas in developing countries. In several developing countries, people die from treatable diseases simply because they cannot reach health centers when they need it most. Bicycle ambulances are a proven solution to this transport barrier in remote areas where current methods of transport are insufficient in speed, safety, cost, or availability. Since July 2005, Jessica Vechakul has been collaborating with Disacare Wheelchair Center in Lusaka to develop the Zambulance, a bicycle ambulance that can be locally produced from common steel and bicycle components. The Zambian Ministry of Health and the WHO have ordered over 50 Zambulances for health centers all over Zambia. Independent home-based care and hospice programs have also ordered Zambulances. Within one month, over 50 patients were transport between home and health centers by a single Zambulance. Given the versatility of the Zambulances for people of all ages and health conditions, it has the potential to be a live-saving technology worldwide." |
| Rating: |
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| Related Resources | |
| Keywords: | community service humanitarian engineering humanitarian design |
| Usage Tip | |
| Related ABET Criteria: |
(c) Design a system, component, or process (h) Understand global, economic, environmental, and societal context |
| Use of Resource: |
Excellent case study of human-centered design and appropriate technology. |
| Difficulty: |
Easy |
| Interactivity Level: |
Low |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | January 2010 |
| Platform/Format: |
WWW |
| Cost: |
Free |
| Download URL: | http://cadlab6.mit.edu/bike.ambulance/ |
| Metadata: |
IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
NEEDS
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