Date of Award

6-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2022.

Departments

General Engineering; Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Jessica Kuczenski

Second Advisor

Kourosh Pahlavan

Abstract

The LIFE system is designed to inspire primary-aged students in Latin American schools to pursue higher education in STEM related fields. We hope the students educate others in their community about the public health implications stemming from the lack of clean water and grow to bring about more lasting solutions to the water crisis. Many family’s lives are stymied by the inability to access clean drinking water, with many students ending up spending hours carrying water or spending time recovering water themselves in lieu of attending school. The LIFE team created a tabletop water filter and pump system accompanied by an app that will act as an educational tool for ten Latin American schools, with more on the horizon. This project was designed with both the needs of the teachers and students in mind but also frugality and ease of use by a wide variety of peri urban and urban communities as well as other quantifiable design metrics. The LIFE system is made up of two parts, the Intelligent Filter and the app. The water filter is designed to remove the top contaminants of our target audience: lead, arsenic, nitrates, fecal contamination (E. coli, Salmonella, etc.), and pesticides. The app is complete with full learning modules and interactive components to engage with the students and guides for teachers. The project was successful at a local school test and approved by our clients at the PASSAGE project and Frugal Innovation Hub. It will be replicated in the near future to be distributed to the different communities by our client, PASSAGE.

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