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DEL.ICIO.USPlug in your shirt
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some day you may plug your iPod into your favorite plaid shirt, or use the power of your khaki pants to recharge your computer.
A professor at Georgia Tech has helped develop clothing that generates electricity as you move about. That technology is still in a very early stage, but the military - for obvious reasons - is interested too. After all, the modern army uses a lot of high tech helpers that draw power. But, the battlefield isn’t the best place in the world to find an AC outlet.
For civilians, it could mean that business travellers wouldn’t have to worry about finding a way to recharge a laptop computer, or cellular phone. And if it was no longer necessary to depend on the battery life of your gadgets, then the day of truly mobile computing and communicating would be here.
You can read about the development here.
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Comments
By Mack
February 19, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
Next, they’ll put micro-windmills in underwear to harness passed gas. The power of wind, sir! Then, our only problem will be Don Quixote crabs……ouch! See the little lances? aw they’re cute….
By mel
February 20, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this
Awesome. I hope they give me some to try whenever they send me to the sandbox!
By Matt
February 20, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
So the clothing generates electricity as we move. Has anyone else considered the effects of wearing an electricity-generating shirt in the rain?
By Bill
February 20, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this
Interesting Matt. A couple of things to think about. Water alone won’t create a short-circuit (otherwise, that extension cord that folks string to the outdoor Christmas tree lights would be a dangerous proposition). Water alone is actually a fairly poor conductor (add salt and then watch the conductivity go up).
Also - and now I’m just guessing - the current from these things would be very low. That trickle amount would then charge a battery pack that you’d wear (I guess).
My guess - one, this is a long way off and may never leave the lab and two, they would have to take care of safety concerns before this hit the market. In fact, they’d have to go beyond what is needed because your worry sure would be one that others would have. So they’d have to go beyond safe and prove that they have.
By jess_me
February 20, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
I truly long for the days when we used skeleton keys, shops closed at noon on Wednesday and only churches and a few restaurants were open Sunday.
Yes, I’m a relic but the ‘NEW WORLD’ isn’t as sincere or compassionate as the one we’ve left behind.