My project idea is a gadget that converts solar energy into electrical energy, stores the power, and uses it to charge electrical devices such as phones or tablets.
Sketch of my project
It would serve as a small but easy and cheap way people could ease their impact on the environment, by allowing them to use a source of green energy without the headache or initial expense of installing solar panels and converting their entire home set up to accommodate it.
In addition to this, the gadget will be small and light weight, enabling the user to take it with them wherever they go. This gives it the added function of allowing it to serve as a viable power source in areas where power is hard to come by, expensive, or unreliable (for example missionary work in developing countries).
The gadget would feature 3 small solar panels. To keep it compact, 2 of the solar panels will be able to fold into the device via opening/closing mechanism. If it proves not be too much of a drain of power, the device will also feature a small, low resolution LED screen which purpose will be to relay information to the user.
A target for this device will be that it is easily reproducible at any Fablab cheaply. This means I will strive to make as many of the components of the device as possible using tools available at any lab (3D Printers, milling machines, laser cutters, etc), although inevitably some will have to be sourced elsewhere (e.g the solar panels) This will allow fablabs in areas where it can come in most useful to distribute to locals.
Website design and mercurial:
Mercurial at first seemed very overwhelming, but I got the hang of it following this tutorial. I created my website using word press, with the plugin WP Static HTML Output to let me convert the site into html files.