Turning Exercise Into Electricity
Using a unique backpack, Larry Rome has invented a way for soldiers to keep their high tech devices powered up without carrying twenty pounds of batteries.
Using Larry’s Suspended-Load Backpack, soldiers can keep their gadgets fully charged. The backpack needs to be fully loaded (with the typical 80 pounds of gear) in order for it to work. The pack uses the weight of the pack to charge the gadgets by bouncing the load on springs.
If he could make the prototype a little more pretty, this could be a viable option for those of us who are addicted to our gadgets and want to take them camping with us. It generates one watt an hour, which is enough to charge a cell phone or night vision goggles. More than enough to keep the iPod charged on a hike, even with an old battery.