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Stella Juva was developed by 23 students with the aim of making medical care accessible to people in remote areas where reliable infrastructure, electricity, and fuel are lacking. In doing so, Solar Team Eindhoven wants to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future, while also making a social impact. For its development, the team collaborated with the international health organisation Amref Health Africa.

Unlike a traditional ambulance, Stella Juva brings healthcare directly to people. The solar ambulance generates energy using solar panels on the roof, and while stationary via the use of extendable panels on the sides of the vehicle. This energy proves to be sufficient to drive and to power medical equipment.

Challenging terrain

The team tested Stella Juva at various field locations in Kenya, around the Narok region. The solar ambulance is approved for use on public roads, meaning that it could be deployed on both paved and unpaved roads, which covers the conditions in which the vehicle could ultimately be used. At one point, the team spent six hours travelling on challenging roads to reach a remote field location in Mosiro.

In total, the team covered more than 800 kilometers. Aside from a broken steering rod, which was replaced within half an hour, the vehicle hardly ran into any problems on the challenging route. This demonstrated that the solar ambulance is reliable and performs well under challenging conditions.

Medical care powered by the sun

Stella Juva is equipped with medical equipment that is urgently needed by health organisations in remote locations, such as an X-ray machine, ultrasound, Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and cooling equipment for vaccines. During a two-day test together with Amref Health Africa, the solar ambulance proved that it could have provided medical care to approximately 200 people. While stationary, Stella Juva generated more solar energy than it consumed whilst using all the medical equipment simultaneously. This showed that the solar ambulance can operate in an energy independent manner, allowing healthcare workers to keep using medical equipment at all times.

鈥淚t is really great for the team to see the potential of Stella Juva in practice, says team manager Mathijs van Gerven. 鈥淣ot only to drive sustainably, but also to be able to provide fully independent care. Especially in remote areas where energy is often scarce, this can make all the difference.鈥�

During the field test, health workers from health facilities that Amref Health Africa works with tested the medical equipment in Stella Juva. 鈥淣ow that we have seen what Stella Juva can do in practice, we see enormous potential for remote communities. This could truly be a gamechanger, says Geoffrey Sadera, project lead maternal and child health at Amref Health Africa.

IF WE COULD DEPLOY STELLA JUVA IN THESE AREAS, THE POTENTIAL IMPACT COULD BE ENORMOUS: WE COULD IDENTIFY RISKS EARLIER, INTERVENE SOONER, AND ULTIMATELY SAVE LIVES.

Geoffrey Sadera, Amref Health Africa

Sadera: 鈥淚n Narok, long distances and unreliable electricity still make quality healthcare difficult to access. Stella Juva can bring not only health workers to remote communities, but also the power and medical equipment needed to examine and diagnose people on the spot. For example, during a single outreach, 30 to 40 pregnant women could receive an ultrasound in their own community. And Narok is not alone: one third of Kenya鈥檚 counties face similar challenges and high levels of maternal and child mortality. If we could deploy Stella Juva in these areas, the potential impact could be enormous: we could identify risks earlier, intervene sooner, and ultimately save lives.鈥�

A first step towards impact

With the successful test, Solar Team Eindhoven takes an important first step towards the future of sustainable healthcare. The team hopes the results will inspire companies, social organisations and governments to tackle societal challenges with innovative solutions.

鈥淎s students, we have shown what is possible when technology and social impact come together, says Van Gerven. 鈥淲ith Stella Juva, we would like to encourage others to think further about sustainable healthcare. We are open to parties who want to explore together how this innovation could be taken forward and make an impact on a larger scale. We hope Stella Juva is not the end point, but rather the beginning of something much bigger.鈥�