Soccer ball that is a generator
Brilliant, simple idea. Kick a soccer ball around, have it capture some of the energy, then give a plug so you can get the energy back out. Then give it away in Africa.
The ball uses inductive coil technology–similar to flashlights that power up when shaken. Each 15 minutes of play with the ball generates enough power to light up an LED lamp for 3 hours, so a soccer game could easily provide light for a day.
In most African countries, 95 percent of the population is living off-grid with no access to electricity. With sOccket, people in developing nations will no longer need to walk 3 hours simply to charge their cell phones. The power will—quite literally—be in their hands. The sOccket ball can be used to light an LED lamp, or charge a cellphone or battery.
(Via Jane McGonigal @avantgame)
6 Responses to “Soccer ball that is a generator”
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This reminds me of the PlayPump, which ‘Manda told me about some while back. It’s basically a school playground hand-spun merry-go-round, that pumps water for the village. There’s a lot of them out there in operation now, great idea!
If by brilliant and simple you mean – ineffective and gimmicky, then yes.
One word question:
Weight?
That’s actually in the article, viisiix. It says “5 ounces more than a regulation soccer ball” but they are trying to make it lighter.
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