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Talk-Powered Cell Phones Won't Need Batteries

Posted by samzenpus on from the talk-charging dept.

alphadogg writes "It's possible that in the future conversations on your cell phone could generate enough electrical power to run the phone, without batteries. That's one possible outcome of recent work by a team of Texas researchers, who appear to have discovered that by building a certain type of piezoelectric material to a specific thickness (about 21 nanometers, compared to a typical human hair of 100,000 nanometers), you can boost its energy production by 100 percent. And the technology could power not just phones, but a whole range of low-power mobile devices and sensors. The breakthrough is an example of 'energy harvesting' that can convert one kind of energy, such as vibrations or solar rays, into electricity."

7 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Isn't this fairly common already by Mike-the-Mikado · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's why people are always shouting at them?

    1. Re:Isn't this fairly common already by earlymon · · Score: 5, Funny

      I see you've met my sister. She comes through clear as a bell from 8 states away. Next time, I'll have her turn her phone on...

      --
      Pathological kinda promises Path + Logical - but instead, you get stuck with pathetic.
    2. Re:Isn't this fairly common already by M1rth · · Score: 5, Funny

      If she's that loud, her vocalizations could probably power other "battery operated" devices she may use...

      --
      If you can read this sig, congratulations, you have your glasses on!
  2. a return to Pyramid Power by infonography · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just set it in a Pyramid and use pyramid power to keep it topped off. That is what they ancient Egyptians did.

    Don't forget to call your Mummy.

    --
    Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
  3. That's just great. by HtR · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wonderful. I can just imagine being in a restaurant or an elevator with a group of people with phones all saying "Low Power - please speak louder."

    --
    Have you tried turning it off and on again?
  4. Technology not for some married men by reginaldo · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't know if this would work for me, because I usually just end up listening on my phone.

    Yes, honey. Ok, honey. Will do, honey.

  5. No battery required by Chapter80 · · Score: 5, Funny
    According to my calculations, no battery is required and this article poses an excellent solution, with a few minor modifications and innovations.

    If you assume normal human speech is about 60dB. We know dB = 10 log(I/I0) where I0 is 10^-12 W/m^2. So 60dB works out to about 10^-6 W/m^2 -- that's a microwatt per square meter. With 100% efficiency and a mike of 1 cm^2 collecting area, that's around 10^-10 W -- 0.1 nano-watts. (Thanks phliar for the calculations.)

    Then utilize this energy using recent advances in String Theory, and you have a workable solution.

    Here's a picture of a prototype.