Eco Factor: Cellphone to be powered by renewable energy.
Finnish company Nokia is envisioning a cellphone that never needs to be plugged in to a wall socket for a recharge. The company has filed a US patent last week for a handset that recharges itself by harvesting energy from the owner’s motion. The cellphone that features built-in piezoelectric generators will be able to convert kinetic energy into usable electricity using onboard piezoelectric crystals.
The phone will have all the heavier components, such as the radio transmitter circuit and battery, supported on a sturdy frame. The frame will be able to move along two sets of rails. Piezoelectric crystals sit on the end of each rail and generate a current whenever the cellphone is moved. So as the user walks, or otherwise moves the phone, electricity is generated to recharge the onboard battery.
Via: New Scientist
