Ac 2007-626: Incorporating Equatorial Environmental Conditions into an Appropriate Technology

The development of technology coupled with the idea of global village is driving a trend that is advancing development of under developed nations through transfer of technology. To date, the transfer has mostly been in the form of finished products such as equipment being sold to developing nations. The designs for the pieces of equipment were initially inspired by technological needs in temperate regions. The design criteria were therefore in part, based on the environmental conditions of the temperate regions. Incorporating equatorial regional environmental conditions as part of the design criteria may extend the life time of any equipment intended for use in the equatorial regions however, this may imply added costs that manufacturers may have to bear. This paper discusses how industry and academic institutions may cooperate in training a workforce whose objective will be to ensure best practices in the design, manufacture and operating equipment designated for equatorial regions. The approach used in this paper is by suggesting design parameters that may be incorporated in design criteria for technologies that may be employed in equatorial regions. The paper will also discuss the initial step that has been taken through the support of Engineering Information Foundation (EiF).