Batteries…
…those small objects we don’t pay much attention to until they’re gone and need to be replaced or recharged. Usually, that happens when we last expect and when we last have the possibility to complete the task. They are everywhere around us and they make the subject not only for environmental care, but also for the technology developers who seem to do everything to replace the whole concept with new ones.
How would it be…
…to live in a world that found so many alternatives to the old, reliable battery or to find extra means of recharging them other than we’re used to? What are those engineers planning and what are they going to surprise us with? Because some surprises are already here and more are about to come. Taking a look back, you will realize the world made a few giant steps in what concerned fueling our gadgets, home appliances and IT devices and the cell phone is probably the best and the easiest example of them all.
Once upon a time…
…a cell had a battery and a charger and you had to have a power outlet at hand to recover your dead phone book. But think how easy is now to have a simple cable that connects your phone to your laptop and charge it while you’re watching a movie. You still need to plug something in, but now you have an alternative.
The same thing happened with the electronic cigarette. Back in the day, the battery had to be recharged or replaced. Now, if you take a look over you’ll see that many e-cig models can be recharged just like the phones, using an USB connection and if the rush to the best next thing continues in the same rhythm, it’s highly probable that in the near future, the vapers will only have to leave their personal vaporizers under a ray of sun in order to have the device working as good as new.
But is this all we can do?
Solar recharging? In this particular area, the developments were impressive, to say the least. We even have solar – rechargeable mobile phones, laptop cases or handbags, if you will, and in you read the news regarding South Korea and the project of building streets with a special type of asphalt which can charge electrical vehicles while en route, you will understand that, just as in the fields of information computing, medicine, aircraft technology and so on, the common battery is more than the eye can see, and there are rigorous researches conducted in order to provide us with simpler, cheaper, eco-friendlier solutions every day.
How will the future look like, you ask?
Well, let’s see what gadget developers have in mind…
- Atlas Kinetic Phone – designed by Ricardo Baiao, a concept phone creator, this phone charges only by moving in a natural way, in your pocket, purse or hand. Working on the same principles as the kinetic wrist – watches, this gadget is not only durable and resistant, but also very eco – friendly and beautiful. It’s a designer phone, so don’t expect to be mass – produced very soon, although the sapphire glass showing the recharging process makes it look like a piece of jewelry.
- Nano – technology and genetic engineering shook hands in developing a virus (yes, a virus!) that attracts metal particles and spins them round and round, so they create energy. Is the future here already? Are we living in a science – fiction movie where viruses can act like batteries? It may happen sooner than you thought…
- Pee – powered mechanisms. No, you didn’t read wrong. They say that some people over the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology developed a battery prototype that interacts with human urine (a few drops, they say) and is able to create a similar energy amount as a regular AA battery, lasting up to 90 minutes. Goes well with camping trips, hiking adventures and long days at the beach when your tech decides to stop functioning because there’re no power sockets in the forest. Madness? Genius? Time will tell.
If you ever cursed your life by having a dead phone on your hand, a comatose music player in your pocket and your car just won’t start with prayers, breathe a few, as the new tech is here and is ready to change the world!
