Hasta La Gadget!

Last year we talked a bit about the Soccket soccer ball, or football depending on where you are from, when it turned up on Kickstarter. At the time a pledge of $89 would get you one. If you missed the Kickstarter campaign and want to get your hands on one of the power generating balls, you now can.

It uses tech inside the ball that captures and stores electricity when the ball is kicked around. It’s designed primarily for use in developing nations which have limited access to electricity, and can provide three hours of light after 30 minutes of play, using the flexible LED lamp included with each ball.

https://vimeo.com/8103669

The power captured by the generator inside is stored in a battery pack. If you don’t need a light, the power can be used to charge a smartphone. Keep in mind that its USB jack offers only 6W so it’s not enough for most tablets.

The Soccket ball is now available to purchase for $99(USD).

[via EverythingUSB]

When you think of Disney, most typically think of animated movies and theme parks, but Disney also has a research arm that looks into all sorts of future technology. Researchers at Disney have created an interesting and very cheap power generator that uses pieces of paper. This won’t create enough power to run your computer, but it does generate enough electricity to make LEDs glow, make sounds, or turn on an e-book display.

The generator uses sheets of conductive Teflon to create an electrical charge as users rub, touch or tap its surfaces together. Circuits are then able to take advantage of that electric charge and harness it to create power for small electronic devices.

The researchers say the generators are extremely cheap and convenient to produce. Such generators could to add interactivity to just about anything you can think of. Disney sees the potential for such generators to be used to power interactivity in books, papers, magazines, posters, and a number of other places.

Researcher Ivan Poupyrev said, “This simplicity leads to countless applications enabling interactivity everywhere and anytime. My overall goal is to make the whole world interactive, and creating ubiquitous power supplies is a key step in that direction.”

[via French Tribune]

Instructables member KlockworkKevin made a generator attachment for his bicycle. Even though he mostly used scrap parts for the generator, he was able to avoid making the whole thing an eyesore by hiding it in plain sight. When not in use, the generator is neatly hidden under KlockworkKevin’s patio table:

When he’s ready to burn some calories and charge some batteries, he just flips the table on its side and attaches his bike:

Here’s a demo of the generator (turn your volume down before you play it):

Wouldn’t it be awesome if all gym equipment worked like this? Head to Instructables to read KlockworkKevin’s walkthrough.

[via Inhabitat]

Bicycle-powered generators aren’t new concepts by any stretch, but they frequently generate AC power and sometimes can’t charge at all when the pedaling stops. Siva Cycle doesn’t think either limitation is very helpful for powering a smartphone during the daily commute, so it’s launching the Atom generator to keep the energy flowing smoothly. The rear-wheel unit puts out power regulated to match its USB port, and it includes a detachable 1,300mAh lithium polymer battery that can follow riders long after they’ve parked. Moreover, the Atom is unintrusive — it slips on after releasing the rear wheel, and it’s diminutive enough to minimize drag.

As is often the case these days, the catch is getting the product to market. Siva Cycle wants to crowdfund $85,000 to make the Atom’s November release target, and supporters will need to plunk down at least $85 to receive a generator, if its fundraising goes smoothly. When the company plans to donate one Atom to the needy for every ten it sells, however, the pledge is for a good cause — and it might be the key to having a usable device charge after a bike ride home.

Filed under: Peripherals, Transportation

Comments

Source: Kickstarter, Siva Cycle

This unique ball turns the beautiful game into the energy-generating game. Made by a small company called Uncharted Play, the Soccket is a football that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. In other words, you get electricity simply by playing with it.

As you roll and bounce Soccket around, a pendulum inside it cranks a small generator, which in turn is connected to a small battery.  I wouldn’t be surprised if a typical hand-cranked generator can convert energy more efficiently, but of course that’s not as fun to use as the Soccket.

The Soccket weighs 17 oz., just 1 oz. heavier than a normal football. Aside from its power generating capability, the Soccket is also water-resistant, is airless and will never deflate.

Pledge at least $89 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a Soccket. As of now, the electricity stored within the ball can only be used by one device – the complementary LED lamp. But Uncharted Play did say that they’ll come up with more complementary gadgets as well as a USB adapter if Soccket reaches its goal on Kickstarter. Can you imagine if all kinds of sporting balls in the world had a generator inside? We would hate ball games. Just kidding.