Recharge from the heart

The future of pacemakers and mobile phones in the future charger for a mobile phone can be the beating heart of his owner. Scientists have created a generator that can convert vibrations of the environment into electricity.

Initially, the device was intended for use in industrial machines. Today, scientists are trying to adapt it to charge the batteries of pacemakers (this will allow patients to avoid special operations to replace them). And researchers hope that, in the end, they will be able to use more effective generators compared to today for charging other wireless devices, including mobile phones and MP3 players. This means that users will be able to charge phones by simply storing them in a breast pocket at the heart.

Steve Bibi, giving lectures on electronics at the University of Saufhampton, where the generator was developed, said: “Today everyone uses wireless devices, but they have a weak place. Batteries in such devices have a limited supply of energy, which has to be replenished. One of the companies is working to make the pacemaker work from heart contractions. ”

“As electronic devices consume less and less energy, the need for their charge becomes more and more acutely. Huge potential opens here-generators that can convert vibration will be used to charge mobile phones and MP3 players. Man is a lot of hidden sources of energy. Even the pressure that he creates, relying his heel on the floor, can be used for this purpose, ”he continued.

The miniature generator works on the same principles as the clock on kinetic energy, where the movement of the spring between the magnets is used to generate electric current - only the generator produces more energy than the clock. Researchers have learned to configure their device at a certain frequency of movement. “The trouble is that people are not moving all the time with the frequency necessary to develop the desired volume of electricity. But we can configure our generator so that it adapts to the movement mode, ”said Bibi.

Researchers also hope that they will be able to use their technology to produce energy from vibrations of bridges and roads. Lee, the director of the technology, the media and telecommunications of the Deloitte Research consulting company, said: “Mobile communications can develop in two directions. Firstly, you can embed a lot of additional functions that will consume energy. Secondly, you can make the phone as an effective device as possible. If we follow the second path, then the solution of the problem of charging can be a big step forward. Although the device is unlikely to be able to completely replace the batteries, it can help in obtaining additional power. Such a device will be especially valuable in developing countries. Moreover, you can use not only the movements of the human body. Other devices, for example, could use its temperature. ”