Recent developments in the field of sustainability have led to research on energy that can be resourced from alternate, sustainable sources. One such area that has been generating a lot of interest in this regard is the use of kinetic energy to provide power. Here are 6 such innovations that can very well lead to a future dependent on kinetic energy for electricity.
- The Moov Chair
This incredible chair absorbs kinetic energy when you sit on it, and uses it to charge your smartphone or tablet. The chair comes with built in sensors that get activated the moment you sit on it. These sensors then pick up your movements and convert them into a power flowwhich in turn charges up the device connected to it via a USB connector.
- Circo Dish Washer
Dish washers tend to waste a lot of energy and water for operation. The Circo Dish Washer aims to reduce this wastage by offering a small sized version of the traditional dish washer which can easily fit any small space in the kitchen. Designed by Chen Levin, the dish washer uses human kinetic energy sourced via a hand crank that circulates the detergent as well as the water inside the washer. The compact model can wash a few dishes at the most, but can do it effectively without wasting too much water or electricity for the same.
- Kinetic Motilamp
Designer studio Toer has come up with a very innovative lamp that uses kinetic energy to power up. Called the Kinetic Motilamp, the lamp responds to movement in the nearby surroundings and uses the energy absorbed from the same to inflate into a radiant sphere. The speed of inflation depends on the activeness of the environment around it. The lamp comes with a HDPE inflatable shade and a multiplex base, and is available in three different sizes and types.
- Wireless Doorbell
The wireless doorbell is a programmable device that is battery free and operates using a cherry energy harvesting switch. The doorbell is self-sufficient and uses a receiver module along with a RF transmitter, resistors and a 4 bit DAC, all of which are powered via a single source, in order to provide the tone for the doorbell.
- Pavegen Kinetic Energy Tiles
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Laurence Kemball Cook is an individual who for a long time, had thought of finding out an alternate source of energy for electricity which does not involve solar or wind power. His answer was the Pavegen kinetic energy tile, a tile that absorbs the movements of those who step on it and converts this to kinetic energy which, in turn, is transformed into kinetic energy.
Each tile can store up to 7 watts of power, the combination of which can be used to power lights in off grid cities. The tiles can also be used to sense crowd movement and power lights in areas of heavy movement in the near future.
- Hourglass Floor Table Lamp
Designed by Brooklyn based designer Danielle Trofe, the Hourglass Floor Table Lamp is an off-the-grid LED lighting fixture that uses the power generated from falling sand for illumination. Shaped just like an hourglass, the lamps have to be flipped once the sand in one side runs out.
This means the user has to be constantly aware of the lighting energy source and take measures to preserve the same for continuous operation. At a height of 4 feet, the lamp is also suspended. It comes with a hinge that allows it to rotate and flip easily as the sand is about to run out. It also comes with a table arrangement feature for those who don’t prefer the suspended design.
A lot of research is being made on the use of kinetic energy to generate electricity in homes and off-grid destinations. These innovations can help in utilizing the easily available kinetic energy as at least an auxiliary source of power.
