Innovation the World Can Live With: Car-Based Incubators

Marty Padgett

Editorial Director BIO

Marty Padgett is High Gear Media's Editorial Director, overseeing the words that skim across High Gear Media's portfolio of automotive destinations... More

LATEST ARTICLE
30 Days Of 2013 Ram 1500: Gas Mileage, So Far
As we roll through our 30-day road test of the 2013 Ram 1500, we're ready to file our first report... Read More

#5LEADERBOARD RANK
5170ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
111COMMENTS POSTED

1,666 views Dec 16, 2008

Follow Marty

Add to circle

CIMIT incubator

From fuel cells to morphable frames, a lot of new car concepts cross our desks at TheCarConnection.com. We also witness plenty of developments on the green/eco front--most recently encapsulated in Colin's totally excellent cross-country biodiesel adventure. But it's rare to see a story that covers both of those bases quite as well as this New York Times piece about car parts being used to build low-cost hospital incubators. The implications for communities around the world are staggering.

The man behind the idea--Dr. Jonathan Rosen of Boston University--had many conversations with health care providers working in impoverished areas. As a longtime proponent of sustainable technology, he eventually realized that "no matter how remote the locale, there always seemed to be a Toyota 4Runner in working order." Rosen's wheels kept spinning until finally an idea was born:

The heat source is a pair of headlights. A car door alarm signals emergencies. An auto air filter and fan provide climate control.

But this contraption has nothing to do with transportation. It is a sturdy, low-cost incubator, designed to keep vulnerable newborns warm during the first fragile days of life.

Unlike the notoriously high-maintenance incubators found in neonatal intensive care units in the United States, it is easily repaired, because all of its operational parts come from cars.

And while incubators can cost $40,000 or more, this one can be built for less than $1,000.

It's not the only solution to the problem of infant mortality, but it's a good one--and you can thank Dr. Rosen and the world's automakers for it. -- Richard Read

[more info at DesignThatMatters.org]

---

Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.