Mobile Technology

Ampy converts a half-hour jog into three hours of battery life

Ampy converts a half-hour jog into three hours of battery life
Ampy is also pocketable at 3 inches square
Ampy is also pocketable at 3 inches square
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A look at Ampy's guts
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A look at Ampy's guts
Ampy connects to devices via USB
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Ampy connects to devices via USB
A smartphone app tracks energy captured
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A smartphone app tracks energy captured
A wearable sleeve comes with Ampy's optional accessory pack
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A wearable sleeve comes with Ampy's optional accessory pack
A wearable strap comes with Ampy's optional accessory pack
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A wearable strap comes with Ampy's optional accessory pack
Ampy is also pocketable at 3 inches square
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Ampy is also pocketable at 3 inches square
Ampy is also pocketable at 3 inches square
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Ampy is also pocketable at 3 inches square
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The notion of capturing the energy generated by even the most casual stroll or everyday motion has been around for years now – the nPower PEG was introduced at CES in 2009 – but three Northwestern University Ph.D. candidates have improved the concept to make it smaller and more efficient in the form of a fashionable wearable.

The result is Ampy, which is roughly half the size of an average smartphone and can be strapped to an arm, leg or hip, or just carried around in a bag where it will charge via a proprietary linear inductor. Similar technologies utilize a magnet that slides back and forth through a coil, converting kinetic energy into electricity. Ampy harvests that electricity and stores it in an internal lithium ion battery for later use charging devices via its USB port.

"We came up with a new proprietary architecture for inductors that allows us to generate significant power in a small form factor," Tejas Shastry, CEO and Co-Founder of AMPY told me via email. "Inductors on the marketplace used for kinetic charging are the size of a paper towel roll (like those in the nPower PEG and Genneo). We figured out a way to make them much smaller and deliver similar power."

Ampy's creators claim that 1 hour of cycling, 30 minutes of jogging or 10,000 steps of walking in a day will produce enough of a charge to add three hours of life to your smartphone battery. Ampy has 1,000 mAh of storage, which would charge a typical smartphone from dead to about 50 to 75 percent of its total battery capacity. For smaller devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers, you should be able to fully charge the device off of a fully juiced Ampy.

Ampy's connected smartphone app will track how much energy you've generated, the amount of calories you've burned and your carbon footprint offset.

A smartphone app tracks energy captured
A smartphone app tracks energy captured

Ampy also offers a separate accessory kit that comes with a clip, sleeve and strap to wear it on your belt, limbs or in a bag. While nPower and other larger kinetic chargers targeted hikers and campers who might carry a bigger power stick into the wilderness, Ampy is clearly more aimed at the broad cross-section of consumers who would consider wearing a fitness tracker around town and to the office.

"This scale opens up a whole new realm of possibilities, and in the future, we see our technology being integrated directly into smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other wearables," Shastry said.

Ampy weighs 100 g (3.53-oz) and measures 3 inches square (7.62 cm) and .75 inches (1.95 cm) thick. A Kickstarter campaign for the product launched this week and has quickly raised about a third of its $100,000 goal. Early backers can get in line to receive an Ampy for as little as US$75 for estimated delivery in June of next year. Later on, it'll cost $95.

You can see the full Kickstarter pitch video below.

Source: Ampy

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7 comments
7 comments
BigGoofyGuy
It looks like a great way to keep people to exercise and be abe to charge their devices when needed.
The Skud
If they have shrunk the device to this size, why not shape it differently and make say, a sleeve to go over the handle part of a tennis racquet, or a golf driver, or even build into a cricket bat or hockey stick? (Regs permitting) Play sport, recharge your phone at the same time! As part of the gear, it would not be forgotten.
Daishi
This is something I was thinking about the other day and I think the idea has potential especially as wearables like smart watches are designed to be less power hungry.
There are a couple different methods that could be used to recoup kinetic energy in a small application like this. I think they have magnets within a sleeve producing energy sliding from one side to the other. The way I wanted to do it was by using the battery itself as the weight mechanism that turns an inductor similar to how a self winding watch works: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/question285.htm
I'm not sure how much energy it would produce driving an inductor but in theory you could do essentially the same thing by having the whole watch rotate within the watch setting with an inductor built around the outer edge of the watch. Everytime you move your wrist the whole watch would turn within the band the same way it does with a self winding watch.
I'm sure the idea exists already but I'm not sure what percentage of the watches power it would provide through normal daily use. If it were significant I assume Google/Apple etc. would be doing it since the idea is a normal part of mechanical watch design.
nomex
Something like this would be vital in a survival mode if grid power were to not be available or in a "bug out" scenario.
Dirk Scott
At last, a use for an overactive dog.
"Here fido, hand me the sellotape will you, honey."
Rocky Stefano
Proprietary architecture? Please
Havaika
Ordered this on kickstarter last year and received in December. It does not work. I've lodged a refund request. You can check out the kickstarter comments for others who've had similar bad experiences. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1071086547/ampy-power-your-devices-from-your-motion/comments