# Oil Drum Computers Unicef Debuts Solar-Powered Digital Drums By Parul Rohatgi | Published 2011-11-01 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-powered-digital-drums References: [oafrica](http://www.oafrica.com/video/video-unicef-developed-digital-drum-provides-information-access-to-isolated-communities) & [unicef.org](http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/uganda_60096.html) Living in a wired and connected world, it is difficult to imagine that only 10% of Ugandans have access to the Internet, but [UNICEF](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/patchwork-kingdoms) is trying to increase the country's access to modern technology and information by using innovative, low-cost technology to create Digital Drums. The sturdy, low-cost, solar-powered computer is made of local materials, predominantly metal oil drums. The welded oil drum computers also come with [solar panels, waterproof keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/slim-solar), [low cost laptops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hp-fortis-chromebooks) and of course, pre-loaded content. The objective is to put them in remote villages and towns where schools have few full-time teachers. Ultimately, the hope is that these solar-powered digital oil drum computers can provide information to students, increasing the amount of children receiving a fair education in rural Uganda. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.9/10 - Popularity: 58% | Activity: 81% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Low-cost Solar Technology:** Exploring the use of solar energy as a means to provide affordable and sustainable technology access to underserved communities. - **Innovative Hardware Design:** Revolutionizing the use of local materials to construct durable and adaptable hardware devices with a focus on remote and off-grid areas. - **Digital Education for Rural Communities:** Creating digital platforms to increase education access and quality in remote and sparsely populated regions. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Renewable Energy:** Leveraging the power of solar energy to optimize energy consumption and provide affordable power solutions for the population residing in rural and remote regions. - **Hardware Manufacturing:** Developing the manufacturing of durable and low-cost hardware focusing on constructing devices using locally available materials to provide technology access to marginalized populations. - **Edtech:** Using technology to enhance the quality of education in off-grid and rural regions, developing digital solutions that are accessible, affordable and effective. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Social Good Computer Drives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/technological-barriers.md) - [Internet Access-Expanding Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kenya-digischool.md) - [Collaborative Smart Education Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-education-project.md) - [Sustainable Laptop Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dell-concept-luna.md) - [Ecologically Conscious Laptops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sustainable-laptop.md) - [Child-Targeted Laptop Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/compal-studybook.md) - [Youth-Focused Accessible Digital Labs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/digital-labs.md) - [Movement-Tracking Air Drums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-drums.md) - [Futuristic Flatpack Drum Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/future-drum-kit.md)