thelostone
22-06-2011, 10:02 PM
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Phones can run out of juice at the worst times. Orange, a French telecom giant, has been working on a shirt that can convert sound waves into electrical energy.
The shirt, dubbed Sound Charge, is a charging dock for mobile phones. The shirt works by "reversing the use of a product called piezoelectric film".
Piezoelectricity produces electricity from pressure. The shirt uses an "A4 panel of the modified film" to absorb sound waves which are then converted into an electrical charge "via the compression of interlaced quartz crystals." That charge is then fed to a reservoir battery which transfers the charge to the phone.
The shirt was developed in time for the Glastonbury festival . Orange will be conducting live tests of the shirt during the musical performances to help determine which bands "are the best to charge to".
Orange's previous eco-friendly charging endeavor came in the form of Power Wellies at last year's Glastonbury festival. These are boots that convert heat energy into electricity, otherwise known as the Seebeck effect. Heat generated from the user's feet is converted into electrical energy which charges the phone.
After a day of walking around festival grounds, the user could plug his phone into the boots and charge it for about an hour. The Sound Charge shirt marks a departure from this in that Orange estimates it could generate about six watt-hours, enough to charge two mobile phones.
All of the electronic parts are removable so that the shirt can be washed. The Orange Sound Charge is not yet available for purchase,
Phones can run out of juice at the worst times. Orange, a French telecom giant, has been working on a shirt that can convert sound waves into electrical energy.
The shirt, dubbed Sound Charge, is a charging dock for mobile phones. The shirt works by "reversing the use of a product called piezoelectric film".
Piezoelectricity produces electricity from pressure. The shirt uses an "A4 panel of the modified film" to absorb sound waves which are then converted into an electrical charge "via the compression of interlaced quartz crystals." That charge is then fed to a reservoir battery which transfers the charge to the phone.
The shirt was developed in time for the Glastonbury festival . Orange will be conducting live tests of the shirt during the musical performances to help determine which bands "are the best to charge to".
Orange's previous eco-friendly charging endeavor came in the form of Power Wellies at last year's Glastonbury festival. These are boots that convert heat energy into electricity, otherwise known as the Seebeck effect. Heat generated from the user's feet is converted into electrical energy which charges the phone.
After a day of walking around festival grounds, the user could plug his phone into the boots and charge it for about an hour. The Sound Charge shirt marks a departure from this in that Orange estimates it could generate about six watt-hours, enough to charge two mobile phones.
All of the electronic parts are removable so that the shirt can be washed. The Orange Sound Charge is not yet available for purchase,