Piezoelectric Keyboards Could Power Your Laptops by Typing
June 26th, 2011
Imagine using your laptop and powering it up by simply using the keyboard. If you think about it, it starts to make sense because if the power typing could be harnessed, it could be used to generate electricity. Researchers have started to experiment with this idea by using a piezoelectric film.
A team of researchers from Australia’s RMIT University think that this is possible. It will rely on a thin piezoelectric film built into laptops to convert mechanical pressure into electrical energy. Their research has focused on studying how much energy can be captured using this method – currently around 1/10th the amount needed to power your average gadget. Their next step will be to figure out how to amplify the power stored, so it could be useful.
For now, the tech isn’t ready to be mass produced , so you’ll have to wait a while before powering your laptop by simply using the keyboard or trackpad. But the concept could someday lead to piezoelectrics in your shoes and clothes to power your mobile phones, pacemakers powered by blood pressure, and so on. I wonder when I’ll have my first piezoelectric keyboard.
[via DVice]
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Categories: Future Tech Mobile Tech Strange + Wonderful Weird Science
A very good idea. would be good to see this implemented in blackberries too, even though the battery life on my bold is great anyway.
Great idea, I hope a keyboard that will be used is not the one of those old types cheap to begin with and them asking us for more money while changing it to today’s design, which are easy to type.