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Tuesday August 7, 2007
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Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands are currently testing a solar powered mouse. Why just testing? Well, there's one fundamental problem with solar-powered mice--there isn't enough real estate for panels on the device not covered by a user's hand when in use, and, as TreeHugger astutely points out, the largest chunk of time in which said panels wouldn't be obscured by a hand is during night time hours.
The key here seems to be either designing efficient panels that can suck up enough energy while your hand is on the keyboard or you're off on coffee break (the current record being 42.8 percent), or perhaps simply a solar powered recharge station can store energy during the day and charge the mouse up at night.
I'd push for a kinetic-powered mouse, myself, but I suppose this is one of those one-step-at-a time proposals.
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August 7, 2007 11:57 AM
Yeah, kinetic power seems like a much more realistic option. That would work well with a keyboard as well, absorbing all the excess pressure from the keystrokes.
Best option would be to allow the kinetic energy absorbed to charge removable batteries, so if you don't quite clack or mouse enough, you could just pop em out and recharge.
August 7, 2007 12:04 PM
the scroll wheel could be put to use for charging...
September 19, 2007 12:17 AM
is it possible to make a power transfer unit to translate heat from your hand into energy? maybe combining kinetic and thermal energy?