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Quick quiz: what do you get when you combine a wind-up flashlight, microUSB charger, and Android smartphone? If you said the world’s first flashlight app hardware peripheral you win no prizes today. If you guessed a kinetically-powered battery charger for your Android device, however, kudos to you. That’s exactly what hardware hacker Ben Heck created on the latest episode of his web series featured on Revision3 (which, btw, you can watch right on your Android smartphone using the Revision3 app).
The problem is obvious: how do you power a smartphone when there is not an outlet or hardwired charging source to be found? The solution is slightly ingenious with the deployment of an already established self-winding technology hacked onto a microUSB charger. Simply plug the mashed-up kinetic charger into your Android smartphone’s charging port and the motion of your body or some quick shaking of the hand will charge that bad boy right up. Not saying it’s the most efficient method of charging, but god-forbid you were ever stranded in the wild without access to wired electricity, this is one accessory that you wouldn’t want to be without. See the full episode over at the source link below.
[via Revision13]
Ben heck is my idol :)
Any mention of how much power this thing produces?
MacGruber saves the day. MacGruuuuuuuberrrrr.
Crank it baby, crank it.
I bet you can never crank it fast enough to keep up with the Android power drain.
Now to build this into the phones for a self charging phone. Almost like an alternator. If it could produce enough energy to fully charge the battery using some of the battery’s own power as well. This would be huge.
My windup flashlight circa 2000 has a cell phone charger port and multi-adapter cable, so how is this inventing something new?
why build one when you can buy such wind-up mobile chargers dirt cheap on the internet? I have a travel FM radio with wind-up charging + solar panel on top for solar power charging. It also has a mobile charger plug in the side….best of all: the price was around $10
This thing is pretty badace! http://www.edwardsluggage.com/store/Shop_By_Brand___Eton___Scorpion___USB_Cell_Phone_Charger__Multi_Purpose_Solar_Powered_Digital_Weather_Radio___SCORP_ETO?partnerid=googlebase
Question: Isn’t it unlikely that you’ll be able to make a call if you’re “stranded in the wild without access to wired electricity”?
@phishwich – That would be called perpetual energy, which with our current technology level, is impossible. A battery can not run a motor that drives a generate that in turn recharges said battery and produces enough power to run the device.
@Michael – I hear smartphones do a few more things than make phone calls.
I used a solar charger to power my phone while in the jungle of Belize for 4 days. I used the phone to keep a gps track of our path, to take gps tagged photos, and to review pre-downloaded terrain maps.
I have thought about replacing the solar charger with something like this. However, I want a gravity charger. I figure I can tie a rock to a string, hang it in a tree and let falling rock pull a generator over the course of an hour.
I don’t think phishwich understands how alternators work. x]
But Ben’s new gadget is nifty as always.
The alternator in a car operates off of a kinetic motor (ie uses gasoline). So unless we find another, expendable, energy source to power phones on it is unlikely that we will be able to have them charge themselves…
Unless we develop regenerative breaking for phones… probably something Steve Jobs will look into. I can just see it now: The iPhone 5: Prius Edition. Now you can feel superior not just because you have an overpriced piece of glamtech, but you can pretend to be saving the environment as well!
A+ for creativity however we really need to look into magnetic motors!!!
I’ve had one of these and have for a few years… how is this new? If anyone cares they’re a couple of quid from TK Max
I want to make one now! my evo has poor battery life.
Great reporting. I can tell from the photograph alone that three points in your article are incorrect. Did you bother doing any work besides typing a stream of consciousness. Corrections in parenthesis…yw.
“The solution is slightly ingenious with the deployment of an already established self-winding technology hacked onto a microUSB (USB) charger. Simply plug the mashed-up kinetic charger into (a usb to micro usb cable and then)your Android smartphone’s charging port and the motion of your body or some quick shaking of the hand (lol really? …Cranking it) will charge that bad boy right up.”
So it’s only self-winding? He should make a dynamo version with a hand crank for faster charging.
I wonder if it could be done with a wind up drive. Like the ones on music boxes?
I’ll stick to my Zagg Sparq. So long as I plug it in once or twice a week it’s got enough juice to take care of me between overnight charges – or even give me the overnight charge if I’m away from AC. If I forget it there’s always Juice Defender.
Works for me. I hate having to plug stuff in all the time.
If you’re stranded in the wild, there’s a pretty good chance your cell phone won’t work ;)
May not be much efficient but it is great to see low tech being discovered. Great Job!
Why not built in this thing into every phone? Manufacturers are you listening?