The 3D-Printed Smart Water Wheel is a compact model that generates electricity from flowing water to power a miniature house with LED lights. It demonstrates renewable energy’s practicality, aiming to provide an affordable, interactive, and eco-friendly solution for off-grid and rural communities.
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The Musketeers
Innovation Fest 2025
About The Musketeers
UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Empowered and Driven:
Delivering Solutions for Global Issues
Goal 7: Offers a steady, renewable energy source accessible to off-grid communities, enhancing quality of life and productivity.
Goal 9: Leverages cost-effective 3D printing to promote innovation and scalability in renewable energy solutions.
Goal 13: Provides an eco-friendly alternative to harmful energy sources, promoting sustainable energy practices.
THE STORY BEGAN
DESIGN STORY
Challenges
Limited Manpower: Due to absent team members, tasks are distributed unevenly, increasing workload on active members. Technical Complexity: Integrating components like motors, sensors, and monitoring systems requires precise circuitry and programming. Resource Availability: Difficulty in sourcing specific components and tools, which delays progress. Maintenance & Durability: Ensuring the prototype remains functional and efficient over extended testing periods. Cost Management: Balancing quality and affordability while maintaining performance.
Solution
Optimized Task Distribution: Efficiently assigning roles based on individual strengths and availability to ensure progress. Prototyping & Iterative Testing: Building multiple prototypes to improve circuitry, motor efficiency, and power monitoring systems. Local Component Sourcing: Using affordable, locally available materials to reduce costs and improve accessibility. Durability Enhancements: Improving design structure to ensure long-lasting performance with minimal maintenance. Cost Control: Regular budgeting reviews to maintain balance between quality and affordability.
Use Case
Elias, a village leader in rural Tanzania, uses the Smart Water Wheel to provide continuous power to his community. It powers essential facilities like phone charging stations, LED lights for study areas, and refrigerators for safe vaccine storage. Unlike unreliable diesel generators or costly solar systems, the Smart Water Wheel provides steady, eco-friendly energy regardless of weather conditions.
TECHNOLOGIES
List of Essential Tools and Technologies
THE PROCESS
PROTOTYPE DESIGN
The 3D-Printed Smart Water Wheel is a compact, cost-effective model designed to generate electricity from flowing water. It features a 3D-printed water wheel engineered for optimal water flow capture, driving a small generator to produce power. The generated electricity powers a miniature house equipped with LED lights, which illuminate during energy production, providing a clear visual demonstration of power generation.
The prototype includes a real-time monitoring system featuring an LED bar graph, digital voltage meter, and battery meter. The LED bar graph illustrates power generation intensity, while the voltage meter displays precise voltage levels. The battery meter shows energy storage progression, enhancing user engagement and understanding of the energy conversion process.
Built using locally sourced, affordable components, the prototype is easy to assemble and maintain. It showcases a practical, sustainable energy solution suitable for educational demonstrations and small-scale rural applications. By integrating cost-effective 3D printing technology, it promotes innovation and accessibility in renewable energy production.
Online Marketing
Creative agency
Web development
PLEDGE
Impact on the market
The 3D-Printed Smart Water Wheel offers a transformative solution for rural and off-grid communities by providing continuous, eco-friendly power generation. Its affordability, simplicity, and efficiency make it a practical alternative to traditional energy sources like diesel generators and kerosene lamps. The product addresses critical energy needs, promoting better living standards, productivity, and safety. Its modular, scalable design supports educational and practical applications, making renewable energy accessible to underserved areas. By leveraging 3D printing technology, the Smart Water Wheel presents a cost-effective and innovative approach to promoting sustainable energy practices worldwide.
RESULTS
FINAL PRODUCT
The 3D-Printed Smart Water Wheel project began with conceptualization and research focused on providing a sustainable energy solution for rural and off-grid communities. The design process involved creating a compact, efficient water wheel using 3D printing technology to ensure affordability and ease of replication.
Components like motors, sensors, LED lights, and monitoring systems were integrated to demonstrate real-time power generation. Multiple prototypes were built and tested to optimize efficiency, focusing on water flow capture, power generation, and energy storage. The terrain model was enhanced with trees and greenery to represent a realistic environment.
The final prototype was assembled with a digital voltage meter, LED bar graph, and battery meter, providing clear visual feedback on power production. The model successfully demonstrated how flowing water could generate electricity, power LED lights, and store energy, making it suitable for educational displays and small-scale applications.
Overall, the project achieved its goal of developing a functional, interactive model that promotes understanding of renewable energy solutions through practical demonstration.
