As mammals, we humans generate body heat...some of us more so than others, it seems. The question, however, is: can we harness that heat to power our devices? Via
Discover magazine, researchers have developed a new “power felt” that can be worn and convert body heat to electric current to power mobile phones and other portable devices.
The thermoelectric fabric is made by stacking layers of plastic insulation with carbon nanotubes, one-atom-thick cylinders of carbon that are showing up everywhere from x-rays to fuel cells.
However:
The current version only makes about 140 nanowatts of power, so it’ll need some improvement before it becomes practical.
But just think: boosting your metabolism can help charge your devices faster.
It doesn’t end with body heat either. The material can be applied to heating pipe insulation, car seats, and other surfaces to capture otherwise wasted heat and put it to practical use.
About Richard Romano
Richard Romano is Managing Editor of WhatTheyThink. He curates the Wide Format section on WhatTheyThink.com. He has been writing about the graphic communications industry for more than 25 years. He is the author or coauthor of more than half a dozen books on printing technology and business. His most recent book is “Beyond Paper: An Interactive Guide to Wide-Format and Specialty Printing.
