Foot-Powered Laptop 241
mrd98 writes: "There is an article in the Register about a U.S. developer who has created a foot-powered device which can be used to charge laptop batteries. Apparently 5 minutes of brisk pumping will give you 20 minutes of battery life, it can also be used to power most other electrical devices with a rechargable battery."
Getting closer to... (Score:1)
Re:Getting closer to... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Getting closer to... (Score:1)
Re:Getting closer to... (Score:2)
It could be invisible (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:It could be invisible (Score:2)
Re:Getting closer to... (Score:2)
Re:Getting closer to... (Score:2)
Re:Getting closer to... (Score:3, Interesting)
Hmm... Most geeks I know sit in front of a computer all day and then go to the gym and excercise (if they get excercise at all) on a bulky treadmill, bike, or resistance weight system.
As long as it was comfortable, I don't think most people would mind a little extra effort in the amount of 'unavoidable' excercise they got walking between offices or tapping their feet to the MP3's.
I, for one, could save serious buckage on my electrical bill if I put a pedal-type charger under my desk while I worked.
What are you doing under that blanket? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What are you doing under that blanket? (Score:1)
Re:What are you doing under that blanket? (Score:1)
Come on! What enemy is stupid enough to walk up to a landmine -- and then pump up the generator so that their legs will be blown off! This must have been George W. Bush's brainchild.
</kidding>
Immaturity at it's best {OT} (Score:5, Funny)
Think of what this could do for the sex toy industry.
*sigh* I can't believe I've stooped this low.
Re:Immaturity at it's best {OT} (Score:1)
Heh, they better come out with the 30 second model for some of us.
*sigh* Can't believe I stooped even lower
Just what i need (Score:4, Funny)
BULLY1:"WTF is wrong with his leg?"
BULLY2:"Oh he is a geek LETS GET HIM!"
Interesting (Score:2)
Bah, pedals would be better (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bah, pedals would be better (Score:2)
Wha?! (Score:5, Funny)
For me, 2 minutes then it's nap time...
2 Minutes??? (Score:2)
cardio for geeks! (Score:1, Troll)
Just what the slow tech market needs! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Just what the slow tech market needs! (Score:1)
Hiking (Score:2, Interesting)
That would kind of defeat the purpose of a hiking trip, though.
The Matrix? (Score:4, Interesting)
So, it's true... in the future the machines really will turn us into living power sources.
Re:The Matrix? (Score:1)
Hang on - clockwork radios, clockwork mobile phone chargers (now available), foot powered laptops, there's a machine that can 'digest' body matter and change it into energy (currently being used as a 'slug-catcher'): I think it's too late already
would be good for airline use... (Score:1)
Nice idea..... (Score:1)
Also....looking at some of the people this would be marketed to, that five minutes of vigorous activity...man that could be a killer. I would think something like those crank powered radios would work....use the crank or pedal to wind a spring to get that five minutes of power. Or use a nice sized flywheel in there to help it. Should be interesting to see what happens with this.....
Re:Nice idea..... (Score:2)
Maybe I don't understand what you mean, but it is my understanding that batteries are recharged with pulsed DC power? Sounds to me like a pedal you pump would do the same thing.
DC power (Score:2)
Re:Nice idea..... (Score:2)
If used on those long airplane flights... (Score:2, Interesting)
This reminds me... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:This reminds me... (Score:2, Interesting)
Looks cool, but I'm too used to my MS Explorer with five buttons and a scroll wheel. You'd need to be a spider to use that foot mouse.
Re:This reminds me... (Score:2)
Why not with Elvis? Elvis IS dead, you know.
I was in Nashville last summer, and almost saw Elvis, but my shovel broke.
Re:This reminds me... (Score:2)
Take this passenger to Cuba! (Score:1)
Accordingly we may expect that trying to carry one of these babies past airport security may result in a trip to Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay. For those not old enough to remember, back when hijacking was "chic" (late sixties, early 70's) before the terrorists got involved, the most common hijacker demand was "Take this plane to Cuba"
Unfortunately... (Score:5, Funny)
Presentations? (Score:1)
that solves it... (Score:2, Funny)
Guys typically take shorter to reach orgasm [not speaking for myself here ;)]. women need more time 'at-it'. this solves that issue. guys do a brisk pumping for 5 minutes. put that battery into you-know-what and the women get to go at it for 20 minutes. didn't solve world hunger. but very close. very close.
Totally wireless... (Score:3, Interesting)
There's also the hand cranked cellphone [wired.com] for when you need a workout for your arms.
"brisk pumping" (Score:1)
Darn, there's so much "brisk pumping" that occurs naturally in society-- wouldn't it be more efficient if we could somehow capture the energy from that?
Techno Wool (Score:1)
At last the eXtreme Programming (XP) answer (Score:2)
Re:At last the eXtreme Programming (XP) answer (Score:2, Funny)
Freudian slip?
improvement idea (Score:1)
Freecharge (Score:3, Informative)
Time management (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Time management (Score:1)
BTW: it's proven that women can do more things together than men, so what about your secretary powering your laptop?
Re:Time management (Score:2)
Stuart.
Pedal powered sewing machines (Score:4, Interesting)
Among them are two treadle style, with a large two-foot pedal, and a long band to transfer the power. That sucker got going REALLY fast, with a lot of momentum. Admittedly, it was all iron as well.
It just seems to me that five minutes of pumping that sucker would have given me about 2 hours worth of laptop power!
Re:Pedal powered sewing machines (Score:2)
Can you imagine (Score:1)
So what they're saying is.... (Score:1)
Alright!
Re:So what they're saying is.... (Score:1)
excercise?! (Score:1)
Combine this with the ab roller... (Score:5, Funny)
"Hey, Bob, your son is really getting big and strong!"
"Yeah, Steve, he's going to be as strong one day as a computer programmer! Maybe even as fit as a linux kernel hacker!"
"You don't say?"
Re:Combine this with the ab roller... (Score:2)
You know someone has to ask it... (Score:1)
To answer The Obvious Comment:
What would a Beowulf cluster be like of these?
The Rockettes. The noise would be a bitch, but they'd be enough spare juice to light half of Manhattan.
Ha! (Score:1)
Finally (Score:1, Funny)
This, plus inline skating or skateboarding... (Score:1)
Could solve Californias energy problems
Why would anyone want to carry it around? (Score:2)
Re:Why would anyone want to carry it around? (Score:2)
Nervous (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:No (Score:2)
graspee
Hmmm... it's not April 1st yet (Score:2)
Though Compaq Australia tried to announce something like this before.
http://slashdot.org/articles/99/04/01/0158234.shtm l [slashdot.org]
honestly.. (Score:1, Informative)
Besides, if i'm away from a power outlet of some sort for THAT long of a time, a nice break from the electronics is appreciated.
Re:honestly.. (Score:2)
Welcome to Slashdot. You see this sort of thing here all the time:
TiVo: "I don't see the use for this. I never want to record television anyways, and when I do, *I* am intelligent enough to program my VCR." (Missing that TiVo completely changes the way you watch television.)
TV tuner hardware for the computer: "Why would I want to watch TV on my computer? I've got a nice couch with a big TV." (Missing that some of us live in small apartments or dorm rooms and would love to be able to save a bit of space by having the computer display to double duty.)
Macs: "Why would I want to spend all that money on a Macintosh, when I can assemble my own machine out of chewing gum, duct tape, and rubber bands, that runs twice as fast for 1/10th the price?" (Missing that most people don't like to tinker with their computer.)
5 minutes?! (Score:2, Funny)
HAHAHA (Score:1)
One question: does this thing hum, vibrate...? (Score:1)
Because that would just give the dog one more reason to affix itself to my leg...
Sounds interesting (Score:1)
Just light the wristwatch! (Score:1)
Imagine... laptops chained around your neck swinging around, generating battery life.
Who needs a pedal!?
Re:Just light the wristwatch! (Score:2)
Just begs to be asked... (Score:2)
So you see, this is not a light event at all - All from having programmers that are physically fit, too.
Don't buy one!!!
Use Foot-Power for Windows stability: (Score:1)
Walking power (Score:1)
How about shoes which generate power from your step? That way you can be charging while you are getting someplace.
If you are foot-pumping, you have to pay attention in order to keep pumping, and it can really get tedious. Walking is second nature, so you can ignore the fact that you are charging your laptop and it seems like less of a chore.
What about the fingers and the keyboard (Score:2)
This sure won't help the users who... (Score:1)
UL points = 1
Spring? Sprung? (Score:2)
Bad news for Apple (Score:2)
If they only had these for GameCubes (or Xbox, PS) (Score:2)
Why go backwards? (Score:2)
You know what this really reminds me of? (Score:2)
Maybe we could see something similar for computers. If you want to play Track and Field on MAME, you have to get on the treadmill for half an hour and run for real.
5 mins of pumping gives 1 minute of battery life.. (Score:2)
Output Power: 0 to 6 Watts / 18 Volts Direct Current (DC18V)
Funny, my laptop draws about 30W of power... I don't know if he talks about powering a PDA or a laptop, but in the case of most modern laptops with almost gigahertz processors with 3d graphics chips and dvd players and 40GB hdd, all of which are power-optimized of course, but still eating a few watts here left and right, it adds up pretty quickly.
Just look at the power rating of your battery, 5000mA/hr 12Volts for example, the battery lasts about 2 hours, if you do quick maths, 5A/hr @ 12 Volts gives you 60Watts/hr, which obvioulsy means you can plug 60Watts power for about 1hr then the battery dies, so effectively, 30W for 2 hours is about right. Now if that device can output 0 to 6 watts, let's take the best case scenario... 6 watts... you'd have to pump 10 hours to keep 2 hours on your laptop.
Unless you're running on a 486 with 10.4 DSTN LCD, I don't see how this is really practical for modern computers... unless you plug the whole office on this to power the server and keep the employees in shape
Finally!! (Score:2)
For the curious, the other two are:
the 21" monitor lift and Luser-Aviodance cubicle racing.
Carpal Tunnel equivelent in the foot? (Score:2)
On airplanes (Score:2)
5 minutes for 20 minutes is pretty bad. (Score:2)
Forced to Exercise (Score:2)
Think of the health benefits if all of our electonic devices had to be muscle-powered. Couch potatoes would become musclebound, or would get lazy and read more, which is also good.
Internet addicts like myself could get some aerobic activity on a treadmill to power up our 'net surfing.
Human Powered Computer Systems at MIT (Score:2, Informative)
Some interesting research into human-powered computer systems has been done at MIT Media Lab. Here are some links:
Before you know it we'll all be wired for sound, uh MPEG-3. Stph
5 minutes - 20 minutes??? (Score:2)
My previous laptop used about 20W, my current one has a spec stating over 60W on the bottom.
So for a reasonable laptop (25W), it would be more like 20 minutes of pumping would give you 5 minutes of battery life...
Roger.
Re:Cool, but... (Score:1)
Cool, definitely (Score:1)
Re: how is this rated offtopic? (Score:1, Offtopic)
I was just thinking such a device could possible adapted to fit on the bottom of your shoes. That way the activity of walking or running could be used to generate power instead of pumping standing still. Man, I must have hit a nerve with someone who's chips and dip ran out or something.
Re: how is this rated offtopic? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:partially off topic (Score:2, Informative)