Another busy few weeks here at GravityLight! The technical team rarely come up for air since accelerated life testing of GL02 started. This is a continuous, real time process, that requires Jim and Rob’s full attention.
Designs are constantly being tweaked for maximum optimisation and durability, with a constant flow of new materials arriving at the workshop - we are certainly keeping the local postman busy!
Due to Jim and Rob’s considerable efforts, the rest of the team have been able to take the latest workshop produced GL02 units and promote them to audiences in a wide variety of different contexts.
Since winning the AidEx: Aid Innovation Challenge in 2013, the AidEx conference and exhibition has been a fixture of the GravityLight calendar.
AidEx provides us with a valuable platform from which to engage with senior members of the international aid and development community. This years conference was very aptly themed around the topic of collaboration in the sector - and the event didn't disappoint.
Fadi Dada (Communications & Operations Manager) and Andy Smith (Development Manager) attended this years event in Brussels.
“Myself and Andy were delighted with the quality of the conversations that we engaged in over the course of the two days. Tapping into the vast array of experience and knowledge present at gatherings like this is vitally important for a young and fast growing organisation like ours”
As with previous AidEx gatherings, our latest GravityLight model was on display at the event and - as those of you that follow us on twitter will know - it was joined by the latest edition of our beautiful SatLights, in their first public outing.
Throughout the conference, we met representatives from all points of the international aid and development spectrum. From large organisations like MSF, Oxfam and UNHCR to small, niche NGO’s, dedicated to a specific area or problem around the world. We were also delighted to see a growing contingent of fellow innovative tech enterprises - a special mention goes to our neighbours at Aidex this year, ReciproBoo, who won the 2015 Aid Innovation Challenge.
Many of those that came to see GL02 in action remembered our stand from the previous year, which featured our very first prototype, GL01.
The new and improved model received overwhelmingly positive reviews, particularly from the large contingent of logisticians who came to view it.
Something that was especially striking about the feedback we received throughout the event was the popularity of the new pulley system that has been incorporated into the design since GL01.
“The range of people visiting our stand was pretty diverse, everyone from academics to NGO field staff - it was brilliant to receive feedback from such a broad range of specialities and perspectives. The new pulley system in particular enjoyed a lot of very positive feedback. Not only has it made interacting with the weight much easier since GL01, where the user had to physically lift the weight themselves, it has also introduced the prospect of using GL02 continuously for extended periods of time - as it is rechargeable even whilst the light is on.”
Now that the event is over, the next phase begins - following up with the organisations that we met at the event, with a view to discussing potential partnerships and future areas of collaboration.
In the meantime, the GL02 is now on the next leg of it's global tour, accompanying Caroline Angus (Commercial Director) on her latest visit to Kenya. Keep an eye on this blog for a write up of Caroline's visit.