February 24, 2009 We're always on the lookout for new, ‘greener’ ways of saving or renewing energy. South Korean designers Ji-yun Kim, Soon-young Yang and Hwan-ju Jeon have developed the Febot, a small, easily-assembled portable battery charger concept that harnesses the power of the wind rather than using electricity. Place a rechargeable battery inside the Febot and stick it on the outside of a window or wall, or any other outdoor surface, using the suction cap at the base of the unit.
Obviously the more wind there is the better, but it is not known how long on average the Febot might take to recharge a battery, and this concept version only holds a single battery. Other potential issues include the amount of wind that could realistically pass through the Febot given how close the propeller is to the base of the unit and how well the suction caps would hold the weight of the unit on potentially dirty outside surfaces.
The HYmini is another personal charger (for devices like iPods and mobile phones rather than batteries) that uses wind power but it also provides options for solar and mains charging.
Karen Sprey
Via Yanko Design.
