The future is brighter than some might think, as new technologies surface and give us new and better means of communicating with one another. Among these technologies, there’s one that converts mechanical stress (vibrations) into electrical energy, being able to power a wide range of mobile devices.
Translation? You talk on the phone and at the same power it up…
This technology is the result of a Texas team research work, as they have discovered that a certain type of ultra-thin piezoelectric material has a huge energy production. Piezoelectrics are crystals or ceramics that generate electrical energy under mechanical stress. They’re the basis of some commonly used technologies, like the one of your in-car cigarette lighter.
The thinner the material gets, the higher its sensitivity to mechanical stress is, so it’ll respond by generating electricity, as the vibrations created by your voice kick in.
[via networkworld]
