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MIT Researchers Create New Tiny Energy Harvester

RogerRoast writes "Researchers at MIT have designed a device the size of a U.S. quarter that harvests energy from low-frequency vibrations, such as those that might be felt along a pipeline or bridge. The tiny energy harvester — known technically as a microelectromechanical system, or MEMS — picks up a wider range of vibrations than current designs, and is able to generate 100 times the power of devices of similar size."

2 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. I want to support this by outsider007 · · Score: 4, Funny

    But I fear that advances in vibrator technology will leave me at even more of a disadvantage.

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    If you mod me down the terrorists will have won
  2. Re:Finally! by formfeed · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Finally, through the use of a hybrid regenerative powertrain, it might be possible to make Harleys as fast as other motorcycles! :-P

    Not possible. As part of their campaign against perpetuum mobiles the physics society passed a law that taking energy out of a vibration will also dampen the vibration. In other words: A fixed Harley would neither feel nor sound like a Harley. Which defeats the point of owning a Harley, one might as well buy a decent motorcycle.