In the future, cell phones will charge on air. We’re almost there, thanks to the genius engineering students who figured out how to charge cell phones with a Wi-Fi signal.
Students at Duke University developed a material that captures Wi-Fi energy waves and converts them into electrical current. With this technology the students have proposed a host of applications, including building the material into cell phones so they charge when they enter a hotspot.
How It Works
The material works a lot like a solar panel in that it converts one type of energy into another, more usable form. Because the material is especially versatile, Wi-Fi and sound waves along with satellite signals are all fair game for conversion into electrical current. With so many options, no cellphone need die again.
Please, drop out of Duke and start a Kickstarter campaign to fund this new technology. I’m sure we’d pay a lot for cell phone immortality!
Featured image via Kārlis Dambrāns
via Inhabitat