10 DIY Projects People Make To Stay Alive
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Our generally pointless homemade arts and crafts projects —decorated mason jars, balloon iPhone cases — are nothing compared to these DIY projects that are actually saving lives.
1. A ball that can carry water up to five miles
(Source: Vimeo/Rick Baker)
The WaterBall is making lives easier for women and children. It allows someone who doesn’t have easy access to a clean water to transport upwards of 100 pounds of water over long distances.
2. Battery free flashlight
(Source: YouTube/Queenie Andini)
At just 15-years-old, Ann Makosinski invented an LED flashlight that didn’t use batteries. Her inspiration? She heard about a friend who couldn’t study after dark, since she didn’t have a consistent source of power. The Hollow Flashlight is charged by thermal energy or when someone warms it up in their hands.
Related: 5 Ways To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew
3. Lifesaving water bottle
(Source: Flickr/iphonelomo)
Developed after the 2004 tsunami hit Japan, the LifeSaver Bottle was Michael Pritchard’s answer to providing disaster victims with fresh water. The hand pump feature forces contaminated water through a filter and allows the purified water to collect in a separate chamber.
4. How to care for a snake bitten dog
(Credit: Robert Johnson)
Not everyone has access to a doctor — and that includes dogs. When his best friend got bit by a snake, “Reverend Smiley” used plastic ties to squeeze out the venom.
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5. Never forget a baby in a hot car with the ‘E-Z Baby Saver’
(Source: E-Z Baby Saver)
The E-Z Baby Saver is so simple a 12-year-old came up with it. The rubber band chain hooks onto your driver’s side door to make you think twice before leaving your infant in the car on hot days.
6. A backpack to carry a portable IV machine
(Source: WTNH)
When Kylie Simonds was diagnosed with cancer, she invented a wearable pediatric IV backpack so she wouldn’t have to worry about pushing the IV pole or tripping over all the wires.
7. Scare predators away with ‘Lion Lights’
(Source: YouTube/TEDTalentSearch)
A 13-year-old boy took his fear of the king of the jungle and invented “Lion Lights” to scare the lions that would attack his family’s cattle. Lion Lights run along the perimeter of a farm, made from a series of poles fitted with solar powered LED bulbs that flash intermittently to keep the lions away from cattle.
Related: Hero Adult Uses LEGOs To Create Functional Record Player
8. A device to help disabled children walk
(Source: YouTube/Danielle Mesina)
When a mother stressed over walking with her child, who had cerebral palsy, she created a harness to help him walk. Her invention soon caught the attention of other parents and is now making the lives of many families much easier.
9. A new type of smoke detector
(Source: YouTube/oc robinson)
Orlando Robinson’s son asked him if they could find a way to help save lives after watching a news story where two children perished in a cooking fire. Robinson rose to the occasion and created Igniteless, an automated smoke detector that can turn off unattended stoves.
10. Embrace Baby Warmer
(Source: Youtube/Embrace Warmer)
Premature infants are at an unusually high risk for illness when exposed to lower temperatures. The folks at Embrace Innovations aim to keep the little ones safe and warm by offering an infant sleeve with built-in heat technology.
Related: Beat The Cold And Learn To Love Winter With This Cool DIY Ice Rink
