Cynthia Eng, Dec 8 2010
This wheel-barrel like tool for collecting water holds water in the wheel! The Hippo Roller provides “a safe and efficient way of transporting water in the developing world”. Designed and produced in South Africa, The Hippo Roller has been around for 15 years. Each unit costs $100 dollars and holds approximately 22 gallons of water, which is much more than 5 gallons of water a bucket can hold.
There are flaws. Especially the high price point. However The the Hippo has been redesigned in 2008 in attempt to overcome its problems of inefficient, and high cost shipping and price. The new Hippo is a two-part form that “could be nested and staked, potentially even shipped with a water filter… and may also provided opportunities for distributed manufacturing in other parts of the world.”
Obviously the Hippo Roller would not be practical in transporting water up high-rise apartments like in Kowloon Walled city. But it’s great for flatter terrain. Although the large drum is said to be able to navigate over obstacles.
Source: “Hippo Roller Re-Design”. Project H Design. Accessed December 8, 2010. http://projecthdesign.org/projects/hipporoller.html
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