No wall power needed to recharge touch devices in the future?

[Nintendo]

What do you all think about this latest concept idea by Korean designers Jun-se Kim, Yonggu Do & Eunha Seo?


A little far-fetched and impractical, perhaps?

Touchscreen tablets drain battery life from ever poke and swipe you do, which is why designers Yonggu Do an Eunha Seo have visualized a concept that lets you generate power every time you touch the screen. The EcoPad concept is believed to allow for a tablet to never have to be plugged in to charge, as long as you keep using it (I can only imagine the rigorous finger work when you find your tablet on its final battery bar). The hardware the designers have been focusing on is a piezoelectric film that’s built into the tablet. I don’t know much more about that kind of material, and to be honest, I read Pie. The concept is a good one, but only if it were to prolong battery life as opposed to replacing having to traditionally charge it. What do we do when we want to watch videos or do other tasks that require minimum touchscreen action? Comical images of people frantically slashing at their tablets with their forefinger comes back to mind

ouch technology is more or less the best way to use a device, simply because it’s the most natural and intuitive human behavior. Banking on this theory, the designers of Ecopad have come up with a concept Tablet PC that uses no external power source to charge it. Right below the display is the nano piezoelectricity film that harnesses every touch or press on the screen, as an energy source

http://www.slashgear.com/ecopad-concept-tablet-powered-by-touch-26154745/

 

[Brotasmo]

Definitely an interesting concept, but it's going to come down to if it works or not. I would like to see some footage of a prototype and see some statistics instead of the "touch screen, make electricity, piezoelectric film." I'd like to know what goes on in the "make electricity" (derp) :unsure: step.


If it works like it is implied to work the inventors will be rolling in the cash.

 

[Nintendo]

I can only imagine the rigorous finger work when you find your tablet on its final battery bar.

I found that quote hilarious!

 

[Tom`]

These concept things almost never actually work, they're usually designed by art or marketing students who don't have any grasp of engineering principles. Dan Rutter covers this kind of thing on a semi-regular basis at his blog.


I would be very surprised if you were able to generate enough electricity to power a device by pressing on the screen.

 

[Jourdy288]

I love the idea, as well as for machines that run off our body heat. What's the worst that could happen?

 

[Nintendo]

It's like using static electricity to power a car...there's just not enough power to go around.

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

Reminds me of self winding watches, besides with witricity becoming more popular and advanced, you only have to be within range of a transmitter, there are a handful of airports that already do this and with the right receiver people power their iPhones and laptops just by being in the airport.


Nikolai Tesla was waaaaaay ahead of his time.

 

[Jourdy288]

Witricity? Whaaaat?


*GOOGLES*


HOLY!


That's awesome. I remember something similar with the Palm Pre, but...


*REMEMBERS*


Oooh, I saw this documentary where Tesla lit lightbulbs wirelessly. I remember that now. Sweet that they're using it

 

[Nintendo]

Reminds me of self winding watches, besides with witricity becoming more popular and advanced, you only have to be within range of a transmitter, there are a handful of airports that already do this and with the right receiver people power their iPhones and laptops just by being in the airport.


Nikolai Tesla was waaaaaay ahead of his time.

Kinetic watches?


http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-kinetic-watches.htm

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

i know kinetic watches had a little weight that wound the spring every time you moved your arm, and Tesla started building a much bigger version than just lighting light bulbs in the room, somewhere in the US on the east coast there is an unfinished building in which he was going to transmit power wirelessly to Europe... That's true ambition right there


There's plenty of working tech demos out there nowadays, although it'd be nice to see the charging symbol on my phone or pandora when i'm sat out somewhere, like the free wifi in restaurants and stuff

 

[Nintendo]

Mass-production wireless electricity is only around the corner, you know.

In the future 'the cord or wires' will be the thing of the past.

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

All they have to do is shoehorn in wireless HD into a console and viola, a box with absolutely no ports or sockets in sight to play metal gear solid 5 and gran turismo 6 prologue (because 6 wont actually be out until about 2030, and then it'll be delayed, then even your shoes will be wireless!

 

[Nintendo]

On a serious note, I think 100% wireless HDMI already exists?

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

I know, they just need to integrate it into a console to make it 100% wireless (that's why I said shoehorn in the wireless HD and not invent it).

 

[Nintendo]

You're right, there's no need to re-invent the wheel.