Eco Factor: Nanoscale piezoelectric generators could end battery dominance.
Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed new nanosized generators that can convert the energy of movement into electricity, which can then be fed into any portable gadget, including your cellphones and iPods. The newly developed technology, which is based on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires, can harvest energy from even the slightest of movements.
The researchers associated with the findings claim that devices carrying ZnO nanowires just 25% longer than the diameter of human hair will be able to generate electricity from slight movements, including your heartbeat or the flow of blood in your body. These nanogenerators could have countless applications, the most serious being their use by military personnel, which in most cases are far away from a wall socket. Apart from military uses, the generators can also be incorporated into gadgets, which you just have to wear and walk to recharge.
The Dark Side:
The generators do provide a continuous supply of electricity, which can be used to power portable gadgets, but the output voltage and power needs to be worked on if we ever need to see an iPod that charges itself with our blood pressure.
Via: GizmoWatch/Physorg
