Ambient radio waves, nano-zinc oxides, raindrops, solar lenses and magnetic induction tricks could be the accessories that power up our tech accessories.  While every gadget already comes with a power cord and a welcomed peace of pocket real-estate,  future innovations will give us the option of being more mobile and incorporating our energy needs in sleek ways.  You can thank the following designers for all the future goodness.

Designer  Sang-Kyun Park has developed a way to brighten up your rainy day.  Named “Lightdrops,” the above umbrella lights up as water falls on it. The more it rains, the brighter it becomes.  As  kinetic energy from falling rain comes in contact with the conductive membrane of the umbrella, called the PVDF, it is generated and transferred to LED’s , making light of any dismal day.  Hope for stuttering cloud-bursts to get the techno effect.

Nokia Research Center has unveiled a phone that Nikola Tesla would be proud of.  Absorbing ambient radio waves, used to recharge a mobile phone battery, its current prototype can absorb three to five milliwatts of energy from up to 4.1 miles away. With a long term goal of absorbing fifty milliwatts, Technology Review states that it will take three to five years before the phone will be on the shelves.

Let the visible light in but keep the sunlight out, chic and responsible.  These glasses use a solar dye in the lens, absorbing  harmful sun rays while also letting in visible light.  The absorbed energy can then be transferred to your mobile device.  Let us hope more styles are designed by Hyun-Joong Kim and Kwang-Seok Jeong. Maybe a pair of aviators incorporating wireless electricity with the solar absorption. – Just my style!

Who knew giving out hugs and charging your cell-phone would work so well together? From sipping your coffee to picking up the paper, this new fabric can generate energy from the simplest of movements.  Basically, piezoelectric and semiconducting properties of zinc oxide nanostructures produce small electric charges that are captured and then routed to your favorite mobile devices. Since fabrics are so widely used, other applications such as curtains capturing the wind and bed sheets, for active couples and restless sleepers, are just two out of the wide array of ideas that are out there.

Last, but the funnest of them all.  The iYO YOYO, for the iPhone, is the perfect travel companion for night-crawlers, techy tramps, and touring cycle bloggers to supplement those idle moments.  After performing “walk the dog,” followed by “rock the cradle,” electromagnetic induction charges a lithium ion battery, leaving you fully charged and with enough tricks to put on a street show for passers-by and rack up some nickels and dimes for that cup of coffee.

Double use polymer products are sweet and green. Would you put any of these in your ensemble?

via inhabitat
via yankodesign
via georgiatech

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