Eco Factor: Hard hat captures ambient radio waves to power built-in sensor.
Matt Reynolds, an assistant professor at Duke University, has created a prototype hard hat which sounds a warning beep when dangerous equipment is nearby on a construction site. The hat, dubbed SmartHat, includes a beeper and a microprocessor that works without batteries.
The system harvests power from ambient radio waves in the air, which come from wireless network transmitters installed on backhoes and bulldozers. The hat’s microprocessor monitors the strength and direction of the radio signal from the construction equipment to determine if the hat’s wearer is too close.
Via: The New York Times
