Theoretical Shoe Inserts Could Power Your Gadgets

In his first accepted submission, Anon8---) writes "As published on nature.com, a process called electrowetting, 'in which a conductive liquid droplet, placed on an electrode, is physically deformed by an applied electric charge,' could be used to provide 10 watts of juice to smartphones and other gadgets as you walk. 'The technique depends on the use of a dielectric material — which is usually an insulator but that can be polarized in an electric field — to coat the electrode. When the dielectric is charged the droplet can wet the surface more easily, and deforms. In his system, Krupenkin runs this process backwards, using the changing physical form of liquid drops between dielectric-coated plates to generate charge and therefore electrical power.' So far, Krupenkin and Ashley Taylor have been able to produce a few milliwatts of power along tiny channels a few millimeters wide. They have patented the idea and are now concentrating on scaling up the device and designing a shoe to contain it."

Comments

These boots are made for

[elcid73]

...chargin'

one of these days these boots are gonna charge your gadgets too.

Not in America!

[girlintraining]

Warning: Blatantly stereotyped joke ahead. The easily offended should stop reading now.

Okay, the rest of you: This is America! Forget shoes, we need to attach these things to forks!

Re:Not in America!

[wsxyz]

Comedy in 21st Century America:

"Stop me if you've heard this one... disclaimer: this joke may be offensive to teachers, goats, bar owners, and priests... and to anyone related with or friends with, or otherwise associated with any of the above. Furthermore this joke involves subtle sexual innuendo. Anyone offended by sexual innuendo, especially that which involves teachers, goats, bar owners, and priests, may wish to refrain from listening to this joke. Furthermore, I wish to assure the audience that nothing in this joke is meant to imply support for any political ideology you may oppose, nor to imply opposition any political ideology you support... Now, as I was saying, a teacher and a priest walked into a bar..."

Re:Hmm... Idea could use some revision

[geekoid]

I read your sig and had an idea. /. needs stupid tagging. Not moderation, just a +1 stupid.or -1 stupid. let the most stupid comments rise to the top. Maybe some humiliation* will calm these people down.

*HUMILIATION!