Eco Factor: Energy-harvesting soccer ball generates renewable energy.
A team of four engineering students at the Harvard University have come up with an ingenious idea that could change the lives of rural African people. The students have designed a unique soccer ball that generates electricity when being kicked around.
Dubbed the SOccket, the ball captures the energy from impact that is usually lost to the environment. The generated electricity is then stored in the ball, which after dark can be used to light an LED lamp or charge a cell phone.
The research can transform the lives of more than 1 billion people around the world who rely on kerosene lamps to light their homes after dark. The SOccket ball can on the other hand prove to be an inexpensive solution that is green as well.
This unique energy harvesting SOccket ball weighs a maximum of 21 ounces that is 4 ounces more than conventional soccer balls, but the developers are hoping to reduce its weight with the use of lightweight materials.
Via: EnergyHarvestingJournal/Discovery
