Domestic water carrying is a common occurrence across the various developing nations of the world. In the SJL region of Lima, Peru, many people who lack water utility due to extreme poverty or are isolated from where water providers can grant access to water rely on manually carrying water to their homes. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Information of Peru, people dependent on domestic water carrying to provide water for their homes must reserve up to two hours a day to collect water. They also go on to state that the time it takes them to do so prevents many of these people from being able to attend school or obtain work. Many studies have found that domestic water carrying leads to various serious health problems, such as musculoskeletal disorders and excessive pain and fatigue, that can lead to injury. This is no surprise since it is clear that carrying excessive weight to traverse long distances can take a toll on one's body, significantly more if this is done throughout one's life and on an almost daily basis. It would be of immense help to this population if they had a tool or device that could aid in their water transportation, allowing them to transport water faster and without risking their musculoskeletal system. This way, they could have more time to spend on other necessary daily activities and not have to worry about the health risks caused by carrying excessive loads across the body unevenly.
Our objective for this project will be to develop a transportable water-carrying device that can be moved and operated by one person alone. It must not rely on electrical or gas-powered energy as the target audience for this device is people who do not have access to advanced technology or the financial means to pay for fuel. We would like it to be able to work with the least effort and physical fatigue possible. It must also be time-saving by allowing someone to load it with water and transport it faster. We must consider the following physical constraints: the ability to traverse the terrain depicted in the graphics. It must be adaptable to various water containers. It must also be tailor-made to be worn by someone of the average Peruvian stature, 5 feet and two inches. It must also be durable and resilient enough to withstand daily use and require minimal repairs. It must also be made of simple, common materials in the region. We are choosing to focus on time efficiency and load distribution across the body because these factors will determine if our solution is practical for the people of this region or not. Their quality of life is significantly affected, and there are few intents by the government or other companies to help alleviate this issue. We will set our goals by meeting as a group at least weekly and having our members decide what the short-term goals for the next week should be and the long-term goals for the next three weeks.
When conceptualizing and developing a solution for this problem, our team cannot do a 100% adequate trial and error to test our project. The stakeholders reside in Peru, and with our team members' busy schedules, we cannot test our project directly in Peru. This is important since our project consists of wheels to make transportation more manageable, and the landscape of Peru will determine the type of materials and sizes of the wheels. Peru's topography consists of many mountains and hills with an arid climate. The road has a lot of dirt and gravel; therefore, the wheels and tires need to withstand and function within those conditions.
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