Harnessing kinetic energy in order to power consumer electronics isn’t a novel idea. Some of you may remember the nPower PEG from 2009’s CES, a gadget that promised to recharge your electronics from power gathered through your walking. Well, Ampy is pretty much the same thing, only in a smaller and more refined package. It packs an internal 1,000 mAh battery which is itself charged by a “proprietary linear inductor” that turns kinetic energy into electricity. Other devices use a magnet that slides back and forth along a coil, generating electricity in the process, though the proprietary nature of Ampy’s mechanism doesn’t allow us to confirm it’s the same thing. Regardless of how it works, its creators affirm that a 30 minute jogging session (or 1 hour cycling, or 10,000 walking steps) will top up its battery, which you can then use to fill a typical smartphone back up to about 75% charge. For any outdoorsy types, this could be interesting, especially at it’s early-adopter price of $75, on their Kickstarter.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmag ]
