Protopooping at Avani

Back in July I also made use of the space and scraps of Avani's workshop to do some visual prototyping. Good things come from just a few hours. Here are some pics

Is there a simple process to turn a newspaper into a pee-poo bag? Open defecation is a big deal in India, it is socially accepted and lots of money is going into stamping it out. Pooping in the open is not a bad thing in itself - but it has bad characteristics - like safety and hygienic living conditions. I spent sometime putting in material some ideas on paper. Making the poop was informative itself.

This is the goomnay concept - the thing you would want to take with you if you were open defecating. Self personalization is visually added into the picture above. it is carried on a strap. Different versions like the one above and below were played with to just see what form might come out.

Hard to see, but this is a portable bidet concept. Design is possible and I think I am the only one I know who thinks it is worth pursuing.

I also took apart a (fallen) banana trunk since it is a source of natural waterproofing - trunk and leaves.  For waterproofing we turn to hydrocarbons - is there really no other good options?

The bucket tap - this is a promising concept i think. How to make a simply tap that draws water for washing hands and feet from an open bucket no matter what shape the bucket it is.

Avani happens to make their own soap from boiling Ritha or soapnut. I collected some to do some testing when possible.

Visualizing a standalone wash basin for places where water is not available. So what is stored up top is released and filtered through sand and then can be manually pumped back up. Made with railway living conditions in mind - a common defecation site where water is not to be found.

The most relevant outcome from this session was a motivation to further the concept of something that combines characteristics of the Bucket Tap and the Goomnay. It can stand on its own to deliver water driven by gravity and it can have other compartments to store other things.

Prototyping on your own (or with two curious kids) is a bit like walking back and forth up a spiral staircase trying to decide which way to go, accelerating in direction and speed but not really aware of what the weather is like outside. And no one was there to remind me to eat dinner either.