Today, I learned that “ironing carts” are common in India. These are pushcarts that operators push around the city streets in India, offering to iron clothes for people. These have not electric irons, but just old-fashioned metal irons that transfer heat sources. Most commonly, the base of these ironing carts have charcoal boxes to heat up the irons.
Vinisha Umashankar thought of an alternative design that is more environmentally friendly. NPR reports that she was just 12 years old when it occurred to her that solar energy could be a cleaner way to heat the irons. She spent 3 years developing the idea before submitting it to a national design contest, leading to the construction of a prototype.
Umashankar calls it “Iron Max.” Five hours of charging in sunlight will power the iron for six hours. Customers can also pay to charge their cellphones from the cart.
-via My Modern Met | Photo: Umashankar Sathyakumar