Millions of people around the world don’t have access to efficient and effective lighting sources in their home. For people living in these rural areas, there are limited options—kerosene lamps, solar-powered lights, or battery-operated lamps. However, these solutions require maintenance, can be costly, and even detrimental to health. Glow is a low-cost, low-maintenance, and low-tech solution to the global lighting problem. The device uses phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) matter, which absorbs environmental light and slowly releases it when put in a dark environment. Modern phosphorescent material has a lifespan of up to ten years, can have an “after-glow” of up to five hours, and does not require UV light to create an effective light emission. The principle is simple: put Glow outside in the sun during daylight, and use it indoors once dark. It is made out of three simple parts, and is the size of a 600ml water bottle. The device is tough, durable, safe for people of all ages to use, and can be easily transported, hung, or positioned on the floor or tables where needed. Glow is not intended to be a replacement for current light sources, or to be a households sole source of light, but it provides an additional device from which to work from after dark. It also has the potential to be used in disaster zones and in other crisis.
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