Technology Steps Towards A Smaller Future

As battery technology struggles to keep pace with the rapid development of portable electronic devices, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS) in Erlangen are working on a possible solution – using our own body heat to power our mobile gadgets…

Their work is based on thermoelectric generators (TEG), which are made using semiconductors. These devices generate current by leveraging temperature differentials between two surfaces – for example, a person’s hand (warm) and a purpose-built sensor (cool). Normally, a difference of some tens of degrees would be required to generate any usable current – but the difference between body surface temperature and the surrounding environment is generally only a few degrees. A conventional TEG can generate 200 millivolts, which is far too small to power most electronic devices.

The solution they have found is to devise more efficient circuits, capable of responding to greatly diminshed voltages. Peter Spies, the manager of this project at the IIS, explains their approach:

“We combined a number of components in a completely new way to create circuits that can operate on 200 millivolts. This has enabled us to build entire electronic systems that do not require an internal battery, but draw their energy from body heat alone.”

Another body that claims to be developing ways of getting more from less is Panasonic. They have developed a miniature Nano Bass Exciter system that supposedly can “reproduce low-end sound equivalent to that emitted by conventional speakers with larger cabinet volume.” The small speakers contain a porous carbon material which absorbs air, thereby reducing the pressure within the speaker enclosure and allowing the diaphragm to generate a more powerful bass sound. This is the theory, at any rate; it remains to be seen if the actual product is anything to get excited about. I wouldn’t be expecting mobile phone boom boxes any time soon…



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