Panel: Appropriate Technology for Developing Countries

“Personal AT Journey”

Matthew G. GreenMatthew G. GreenManufacturing & Design LabManufacturing & Design Lab

Mechanical Systems and DesignMechanical Systems and DesignThe University of Texas, AustinThe University of Texas, Austin

June 24, 2004June 24, 2004matthew.green@alumni.utexas.net

CEEC 2004CEEC 2004Salt Lake City, UTSalt Lake City, UT

AT Journey ChronologyAT Journey Chronology

1.1. Before graduate schoolBefore graduate school

2.2. Graduate School – MSGraduate School – MS

3.3. Graduate School – PhDGraduate School – PhD

4.4. (Future) Career Path: (Future) Career Path: Teaching, Consulting, PublishingTeaching, Consulting, Publishing

AT Journey ChronologyAT Journey Chronology

1.1. Before graduate schoolBefore graduate school

2.2. Graduate School – MSGraduate School – MS

3.3. Graduate School – PhDGraduate School – PhD

4.4. (Future) Career Path: (Future) Career Path: Teaching, Consulting, PublishingTeaching, Consulting, Publishing

Phase I: Before Graduate SchoolPhase I: Before Graduate School

Childhood - Childhood - Exposure to global contextExposure to global context through through visiting missionariesvisiting missionaries

3rd year student, Guatemala service project – 3rd year student, Guatemala service project – First personal First personal exposure to global needexposure to global need (still no concept of proportion of need)(still no concept of proportion of need)

Senior year - Senior year - Growing sense of stewardshipGrowing sense of stewardship of of education, gifting, and Western resourceseducation, gifting, and Western resourcescoupled with coupled with growing disillusionmentgrowing disillusionment with the with the pursuit of personal comfortpursuit of personal comfort

Phase I: Before Graduate SchoolPhase I: Before Graduate School

Senior design – spaceship to mars, crisis of Senior design – spaceship to mars, crisis of values. “Wouldn’t design for the poor result in values. “Wouldn’t design for the poor result in `spin-offs` too, along with having a much `spin-offs` too, along with having a much greater impact on quality of life?”greater impact on quality of life?”

Internship with EMI – growing understanding of Internship with EMI – growing understanding of global needglobal need

EMI trip to PNG Wycliffe base - first realization EMI trip to PNG Wycliffe base - first realization of technical opportunitiesof technical opportunities

I was active in my ChristianI was active in my Christian faith and missions-oriented faith and missions-oriented with a BSME, yet this my first realization of the with a BSME, yet this my first realization of the

opportunity for engineers to help with these needs.opportunity for engineers to help with these needs.

Phase I: Before Graduate SchoolPhase I: Before Graduate School

Discouragement Discouragement Abandoned hope of graduate research in Abandoned hope of graduate research in

“appropriate technology”“appropriate technology” I was told, “I was told, “Graduate research is high-tech; Graduate research is high-tech;

development needs are low-techdevelopment needs are low-tech.”.” (Now I understand why – for years it was a (Now I understand why – for years it was a

difficult and lonely trail to blaze!)difficult and lonely trail to blaze!)

AT Journey ChronologyAT Journey Chronology

1.1. Before graduate schoolBefore graduate school

2.2. Graduate School – MSGraduate School – MS

3.3. Graduate School – PhDGraduate School – PhD

4.4. (Future) Career Path: (Future) Career Path: Teaching, Consulting, PublishingTeaching, Consulting, Publishing

MS: “Blazing the trail”MS: “Blazing the trail”

Research advisor encouraged Research advisor encouraged pursuing pursuing the lost visionthe lost vision as “design for developing as “design for developing countries”countries”

Major hurdle: uncovering the Major hurdle: uncovering the literatureliterature base (mostly non-academic)base (mostly non-academic)

Preliminary findingsPreliminary findings reported in paper reported in paper “Publishing Engineering Research on “Publishing Engineering Research on Appropriate Technology”Appropriate Technology”

MS: Internship w/ DevelopmentMS: Internship w/ Development

GTZ-GATE – German technical inquiry GTZ-GATE – German technical inquiry serviceservice

General consensus - disillusionment with General consensus - disillusionment with global poverty reduction initiativesglobal poverty reduction initiatives

Advice: “Advice: “Avoid a career in development Avoid a career in development at all costsat all costs””

Co-authored three papers: solar Co-authored three papers: solar desalination, theory of solar crop drying, desalination, theory of solar crop drying, solar drying equipment. solar drying equipment.

MS: Humanitarian Design ProjectsMS: Humanitarian Design Projects

Senior design methods classSenior design methods class Ex: Waste heat water heater Ex: Waste heat water heater

““Integrating Service-Oriented Design Projects Integrating Service-Oriented Design Projects in the Engineering Curriculum,” ASEE 2002in the Engineering Curriculum,” ASEE 2002

Senior design methods classSenior design methods class Example: Hot Water for Medical ReliefExample: Hot Water for Medical Relief

Need in rural MexicoNeed in rural Mexico Strict size, cost, complexity constraintsStrict size, cost, complexity constraints Waste heat from 5kW generatorWaste heat from 5kW generator Result: $50 Result: $50 5gal/hr @ 150 5gal/hr @ 150ooFF

Field-testing in Mexico

MS: Humanitarian Design ProjectsMS: Humanitarian Design Projects

MS: Research – Remote ElectricityMS: Research – Remote Electricity

““Small-Scale Electricity Generation: Selecting an Small-Scale Electricity Generation: Selecting an Appropriate Technology,” MS Thesis, UT Austin, 2001Appropriate Technology,” MS Thesis, UT Austin, 2001

Solar Photovoltaic Wind Turbine

Water Current Micro-Hydroelectric

IC Engine Generator

Grid Extension (reference)

Viable Small-scale TechnologiesViable Small-scale Technologies

Existing Selection GuidanceExisting Selection Guidance

Need: Comprehensive and unified selection method

AT Journey ChronologyAT Journey Chronology

1.1. Before graduate schoolBefore graduate school

2.2. Graduate School – MSGraduate School – MS

3.3. Graduate School – PhDGraduate School – PhD

4.4. (Future) Career Path: (Future) Career Path: Teaching, Consulting, PublishingTeaching, Consulting, Publishing

PhD – IH Design ProjectsPhD – IH Design Projects

International Humanitarian Design International Humanitarian Design projects (presented in ASEE & CEEC)projects (presented in ASEE & CEEC)

Effectively introduced and mentored me Effectively introduced and mentored me into these projects from Christian schoolsinto these projects from Christian schools

““Service-Learning Approaches to International Humanitarian Service-Learning Approaches to International Humanitarian Design Projects: Assessment of Spiritual Impact,” Design Projects: Assessment of Spiritual Impact,”

CEEC 2004CEEC 2004

““Service-Learning Approaches to International Service-Learning Approaches to International Humanitarian Design Projects: A Model Based on Humanitarian Design Projects: A Model Based on

Experiences of Faith-Based Institutions,” ASEE 2004Experiences of Faith-Based Institutions,” ASEE 2004

PhD: Research FocusPhD: Research Focus

Focus on Focus on product definition phaseproduct definition phase Develop three types of Develop three types of design toolsdesign tools::

1.1. Knowledge modulesKnowledge modules

2.2. Ashby-style plotsAshby-style plots

3.3. DfX method (Design by Analogy)DfX method (Design by Analogy)

Provide tools to enhance the success of Provide tools to enhance the success of engineers designing products for contexts engineers designing products for contexts outside their experience and expertise.outside their experience and expertise.

Objective #1: Reverse EngineeringObjective #1: Reverse Engineering

Select productsSelect products representative of a functional family representative of a functional family Primary function is a basic needPrimary function is a basic need Set of products successful in mature market Set of products successful in mature market Dominated by ME energy flows Dominated by ME energy flows

1.1. Reverse engineer products in multiple functional Reverse engineer products in multiple functional families to document the product definitions and families to document the product definitions and appropriate usage contexts.appropriate usage contexts.

Product set for FF “broadcast light, with mobility”Product set for FF “broadcast light, with mobility”

AT Journey ChronologyAT Journey Chronology

1.1. Before graduate schoolBefore graduate school

2.2. Graduate School – MSGraduate School – MS

3.3. Graduate School – PhDGraduate School – PhD

4.4. (Future) Career Path: (Future) Career Path: Teaching, Consulting, PublishingTeaching, Consulting, Publishing

(Future) Career Path(Future) Career Path

TeachingTeaching – training engineers to design – training engineers to design products and systems, with an emphasis on products and systems, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of the world’s poorest meeting the needs of the world’s poorest individualsindividuals

ConsultingConsulting – designing specific solutions for – designing specific solutions for the needs of development workers and those the needs of development workers and those they servethey serve

PublishingPublishing – – providing technical knowledge providing technical knowledge useful and accessible to development workersuseful and accessible to development workers

Engineering design to improve the quality of Engineering design to improve the quality of life for the poor in developing countrieslife for the poor in developing countries

QuestionsQuestions How can students be trained to design How can students be trained to design

for AT needs?for AT needs? How can students pursue AT projects?How can students pursue AT projects? How can graduate students pursue AT How can graduate students pursue AT

related research?related research? What types of engineering careers are What types of engineering careers are

available in AT?available in AT?

What will enable success in a field What will enable success in a field where so many others have failed?where so many others have failed?