Eco Factor: Battery-free remote control powered by movement.
Yesterday we discussed the soft solar battery that could be used in remote controls to stop harmful AA batteries from polluting the environment. Now a team of designers has come up with yet another innovative way to reduce the number of batteries being discarded each day, with a remote control they call the Shake Control.
Powered by electromagnetic induction, the remote control carries a magnet covered by coils of wire, which are installed in a transparent body. While the user shakes the remote the magnet changes position within the coil, which generates about 30mA of current that is just enough to power the small electronics inside the device.
The Dark Side:
Remote controls are made to make life easy, as all a person has to do is press a button. The task of shaking the remote to change a channel or volume is much worse than getting up from the bed and using the buttons provided in the TV to do so.
Via: TheDesignBlog
