Innovation Design Lab

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Welcome to the

Innovation Design Lab /

ABOUT IDL

The Innovation Design Lab at NUST is a center of multi-disciplinary research applied to Namibian and African wicked problems. We pursue the transformation of a problem into a challenge, and a challenge into an opportunity. Through research, we foster a new generation of creative innovators.

The adroitness to renew, and innovate is the foundation of a thriving democratic society, spreading prosperity and well-being, rooting culture into behaviors, and enhancing access to education and health. Research, Science, Technology, and Innovation have been the most effective drivers of a flourishing transition from the few to the many. When innovating, we are not only creating new products and services, but we foster a new generation of Namibian researchers, scientists, technologists, and entrepreneurs. By doing so, we recognize and stand on the shoulders of others who have improved the world before us, while pushing the boundaries of what we know into what we don’t know. We look at science with a fresh eye, and the ingenuity of a child.

STAFF

Rene Mukasa, Project Officer

Solar Energy Water Desalination Experiment

Water is one of the earth's most abundant resources, covering about three-quarters of the planet's surface. Yet, there is an acute shortage of potable water in many African countries, especially in Africa. Namibia is one of the countries facing water scarcity. The potential use of renewable energy as a clean friendly source of energy to operate small-scale desalination units in remote communities has received increasing attention in recent years. The coupling of renewable energy sources and desalination such as solar energy with desalination systems holds great promise for tackling water shortage and is a potential for viable solution of climate change and water scarcity. Innovation Design Lab in collaboration with Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Hochshcule Wismar: IPT, Institut fur Polymertechnologien, Germany, have launched a simple water desalination experiment right here at Namibia university of Science & Technology, Innovation Design Lab. The experiment uses solar energy and the simple concepts of evaporation and condensation to desalinate brackish or salt water into saline clean drinkable water.

Solar Utility Vehicle

NSEUV #1 - NAMIBIA SOLAR ELECTRIC UTILITY VEHICLE PROTOTYPE 1

The Namibian Solar Electric Utility Vehicle is a multi-disciplinary applied research project which aims to find sustainable solutions to Namibia’s increasing energy needs. The first solar electric taxi has been successfully designed according to the needs of African users. Solar energy is captured with photo-voltaic cells and stored in lithium ion batteries, swapped at nodes of smart grids of rechargeable stations. It operates with zero carbon footprint with three primary benefits: Firstly, reduction of Namibian use of imported gasoline. Secondly: Zero emissions of poisonous gas that induce climate change and thirdly: positive impact on the population’s health.

Solar Utility Vehicle

NSEUV #2 - NAMIBIA SOLAR ELECTRIC UTILITY VEHICLE PROTOTYPE 2

The second prototype with increased functional complexity and interactive simplicity is being prototyped at innovation design lab, using lessons learned from the previous prototype. More features will be added and will undergo a road test.

The NSEUV #2 targets are: