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Your Gadgets Powered By Body Heat

by Terrence O'Brien on August 6, 2007 at 11:57 AM



It may be tough to imagine a future in which batteries for your cell phones (or AC adapters for your media players) are things of the past, but scientists are hard at work trying to make this very thing a reality. It looks like a group of German researchers have designed circuitry that converts heat from the human body into electricity.

But before your cell phone can be powered by the warmth of your hand, you'll have to wait for some scientists to overcome some hurdles. Because the temperature difference between the body and the air around it is only a few degrees, the circuits can only produce about 200 millivolts of power. Most electronic devices require 1-2 volts. The researchers are now working on new circuitry that will allow devices to operate at those extraordinarily low voltages.

Though the circuitry was developed with the human body in mind, the technology is applicable to any situation in which a difference in temperature occurs. It could be used to reclaim small amounts of power from a running radiator or air conditioner, for example.

From Gizmowatch

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Tags: body heat, BodyHeat, breaking+news, electricity, green, thermoelectricity, top

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