Sheffield Hallam University has designed and installed the first energy harnessing playground at a school in India.
The hydroponic playground, which includes seesaws and growing frames, stimulates crop growth by using energy generated by children as they play.
A young boy playing on the hydroponic playground equipment (Image from Sheffield Hallam University)
Heath Reed, part of the University’s Lab4Living research group team, says they hope that it will teach children who use the facility about caring for the environment.
Reed said: “Participants would play in what we would recognise as a regular playground which would effectively be in a garden and the act of playing would encourage the garden to flourish.
“The ambition is that the children grow up with enhanced awareness of the environment and we are trying to teach this subject in experimental and creative ways.”
Over the coming months the team will monitor the power output from the children’s play and how it impacts the cultivation of crops.
The team hopes that, for example, children riding seesaws fitted with pumps can transfer nutrient-rich water around the playground to feed spinach, lettuce and tomato plants.
Imtiyaz Ali teaches at the Khanpur Garbi primary school in Uttar Pradesh and said the project has even helped to encourage students back to the classroom.
Ali said: “The Playponics setup was installed in our school in January 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It has proved to be very successful and popular amongst the students.
“The government has instructed that schools be reopened and 50% of the students in each class attend at a time. Because of this installation many students are coming back to school, the attendance has improved.”
Despite the project’s roll-out being impacted by travel restrictions owing to Covid-19, plans are in place for two more pilot playgrounds to be installed.
These playgrounds will include swings, roundabouts and other exercise equipment which will also be available to the local community.