Engineering students from the University of Bristol have improved the manual washing machine design from the Washing Machine Project.
The Washing Machine project aims to give simple, easy to assemble washing machines to refugees around the world.
The original Washing Machine Project “Divya” was created by University of Bath student Nav Sawhney to make life easier for those who didn’t have access to electric washing machines.
However, thanks to students from the University of Bristol the new “Divya 1.5” is lighter, uses less water and features an easier to crank vertical drum.
While hand washing clothes might sound like an easy task but for 70% of the world’s population who lack access to washing machines, it poses a significant obstacle and impacts their wellbeing and livelihood. The machines require no electricity, are extremely robust and have been designed to be simple to operate and easy to repair.
The project is an example of how a simple engineering solution can give dignity to those without access to electricity and water.
The original low-cost machine have now been distributed all over the world since the company was founded in 2018. The Divya 1.5 currently has over 2,000 requests for the from over 25 countries on 4 continents and a estimated wait time until delivery of 6 months.
