The Hippo Water Roller Project | The Original Water Roller. Hippo water roller. Upper: traditional method of carrying water; lower: more water can be transported easily using the roller The Hippo water roller, or Hippo roller, is a device for carrying water more easily and efficiently than traditional methods, particularly in the developing world. It consists of a barrel-shaped container which holds the water and can roll along the ground, and a handle attached to the axis of the barrel. Currently deployed in rural Africa, its simple and purpose-built nature makes it an example of appropriate technology.
Physical design[edit] The drum of the Hippo water roller is made from UV stabilized linear low-density polyethylene and is designed to cope with the rough surfaces found in rural areas. The steel handle allows the roller to be pushed or pulled over difficult and very rough terrain. The roller is rounded at the shoulders to simplify tilting when wanting to pour from the full roller. History[edit] Claimed benefits[edit] Claimed benefits include[citation needed]: Use[edit] Balancing Tradeoffs: The Evolution of the Hippo Roller. In 2008, 26-year-old industrial designer Emily Pilloton founded Project H Design, a non-profit that empowers designers around the world to support, create, and deliver life-improving product design solutions.
Chapters now located in nine cities function as volunteer design firms, identifying and developing products that address issues of the four H's: Humanity, Habitats, Health and Happiness. As Pilloton worked to establish the first chapter, located in San Francisco, yet another H quickly came into the fold, the Hippo Roller, a water-transporting device manufactured in South Africa.
Project H's very first initiative became a plan to raise enough money to deliver 75 Hippo Rollers to Kgautswane, South Africa. The first Hippo Roller recipients in Project H's delivery to Kgautswane. When she got to South Africa, however, Pilloton quickly realized that the Hippo Roller had several design flaws.
An early two-piece concept at a brainstorming session. Hippo roller.