Dean Kamen Water Purifier
The Slingshot Can Purify Any Kind Of Water

In 1993, zany inventor Dean Kamen invented a water purifier that runs on very low cost and is energy efficient.

Named the Slingshot, it is basically a distiller and condenser that manages to use very little energy.

He says he was inspired by the idea after developing an electric generator and finding it gave off too much waste energy.

With this in mind, the water purifier was actually made to complement the electric generator, to run on the excess heat that the generator gives off, although the water purifier does stand on its own and can be used without it.

The Slingshot may not be revolutionary in that distillers have already been invented, but this water purifier makes a thousand liters of water per day. Producing ten gallons of clean water for an hour will only consume 500 watts of electricity, reiterating how low cost and energy efficient it is.

It’s also unbelievably simple, and it doesn’t need any new filters to replace every so often or maintenance. However, those who will be using the Slingshot should learn how to use it carefully, and where to store it after use.

Dean Kamen emphasizes that the most impressive characteristic of his water purifier is that you can use it to purify any kind of water. Unlike your common faucet mount water purifiers, the Slingshot will work with all kinds of unclean water, even water crawling with microorganisms and parasites, even ocean water, even water that doesn’t come from your tap.

Dirty water, even water from the sewers, is placed in the water purifier and evaporates, thereby dividing the impurities from the gunk, which is then sucked out of the purifier. The device claims to be 95% reliable, although there is yet an external review to validate the product’s performance.

Dean Kamen plans to use this easily portable water purifier for countries with minimal sources of potable water - particularly technologically-deprived areas in third world countries.

The water purifier he had invented is ideal for this purpose, since it needs only a minimum amount of energy in which to run, and the areas that Kamen plans to bring his water purifier to are also most probably low on electricity and other sources of energy.

Dean Kamen seems to have the best intentions, given that his electric generator, which is actually his inspiration for the water purifier, was also created to serve rural villages all over the world, operating on fuel made from cow manure.

He has also created the Independence iBOT Mobility System, which is an FDA-approved wheelchair that can go up and down stairs. However, there remain many skeptics questioning his inventions and motives after over hyping the Segway, a so-called human transport system that is actually a high-tech scooter that failed to make an impression on a very enthusiastic market.

Still, there is no denying that his electric generator and water purifier will indeed save lives. Kamen, in fact, does not peddle this water purifier to the obvious markets at all.

Instead, he had been making negotiations and partnerships with leaders of African and Asian countries to use the water purifiers, and accompanying electric generators in areas that need it the most. He had demonstrated the water purifier to the president of Rwanda in 2003, and made trial runs in Bangladesh, using power from the cow dung-fueled electric generator.

Those Bangladesh tests enumerated the problems that could arise when using the water purifier, which Kamen in turn addressed. Also, in promoting the products to the people, Kamen also devised a way to give local, out-of-work individuals jobs as merchants and manure/fuel gatherers for the products.

Kamen, currently 56, is a multi-millionaire who made his money from inventing helpful medical devices such as the auto-syringe and a do-it-yourself machine that performs kidney dialyses. He then built a company to work on devices, such as the aforementioned iBOT, Segway, electric generator and Slingshot water purifier, all of which he gave close personal participation.

His company may sound like a small time business, but it is actually quite huge. Several factories produce several of Kamen’s inventions every day. Kamen himself is known as someone who cannot not work. Many people are wondering what he’ll come up with next.

Related article: Brita Water Purifier - For Chlorine-Free Tasting Water

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Dean Kamen Water PurifierThe Slingshot Can Purify Any Kind Of Water

Dean Kamen Water Purifier
The Slingshot Can Purify Any Kind Of Water