Giving wearable tech a whole new angle, this could allow a person to charge his or her own gadgets.
Recent technology news from Korea may seem quite futuristic, but that seems to be the case on an increasing basis when it comes to mobile devices and the many shapes, forms, functions, and styles in which they are being developed.
As though smartwatches and augmented reality glasses weren’t enough, now chargers could be powered by humans.
This technology news could mean that the day could one day arrive in which a person may be able to charge his or her smartphone or wearable technology device through the heat that is naturally produced by his or her body. This is an important discovery, as one of the main barriers to the evolution of the basic smartwatches and other wearables that we know today, is the fact that their charge simply doesn’t last long enough to allow them to provide a wide range of powerful features or function consistently for a long time between charges.
This technology news involves a new development in thermoelectric generating tech.
Should this solution, which is based on a thermoelectric generator made out of glass fabric, become successful, it could pave the way for a virtually endless range of small smart devices and gadgets.
The discovery has been made by a research team at KAIST University, which is located in South Korea. Under electrical engineering Professor Cho, the team has proposed a unique new solution to being able to keep wearable technology powered through the use of a glass fabric based thermoelectric generator. That device functions by collecting body heat and converting it into usable energy that can charge small mobile devices. It takes advantage of the temperature difference between the human skin and the outside air, so that it can be converted into electric energy.
In order to be able to power a small device, only a small temperature difference between the skin and air is required. This is an important part of this technology news as it ensures that even a slight difference in temperature will allow the charger to continue working, meaning that it won’t be dependent on a perfect air temperature to function at all.
