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Got a pedal-powered TV, but still have to keep replacing the batteries in that remote? Then you might want to keep an eye on this piezoelectricity batteryless remote (machine translation), being developed by NEC and Soundpower. Energy harvesting devices are nothing new, but this one seems interesting because it is apparently efficient enough to work off of the vibrations caused by pressing the buttons on it. They claim that it uses piezoelectric elements, which can generate electric current when bent or deformed, to capture the kinetic energy of your button press.
Of course, if you don't have access to fancy piezoelectric development tools or want to wait for their device to come out, you could probably whip up something similar by combining one of those shake flashlights and a regular remote. [via technabob]
I'm pretty sure that there was an article on a shake-flashlight-powered remote in a recent Make issue.
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Hey, excellent memory! Indeed, it is in Issue 12: 'Kinetic Remote Control' by Dhananjay V. Gadre.
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Forty yes 40, we had a remote for our Sylvania TV where the buttons plucked reeds to execute basic functions on-off, channel up-down and vol. up-down. It worked with out a hitch until the steppers gave out, first the volume, then the channel. That was mostly because it went down to the rec-room in the basement as the kid's TV and we surfed rather hard. But it lasted twenty years
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just today I was thinking how I'd like a wireless keyboard that was charged by the keystrikes. Batteries are the bane of a wireless existence.
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Great invention. I hope it comes to market soon.
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