Mobile phone company Orange came up with a new way to help people charge their electronics while dancing at an all day music concert, hiking in the Himalayas, or camping in the middle of the Nevada desert.
When off the grid, you’re out of luck when it comes to finding that necessary outlet. 2010′s innovation is a pair of boots that can convert heat energy from feet into electricity.
Orange explains how it works:
“After a full days festival frolics you can plug your phone into the power output at the top of the welly and use the energy that has been generated throughout the day to charge your phone. The power collected in the ‘power generating sole’ is collected via a process known as the ‘Seebeck’ effect. Inside the power generating sole there are thermoelectric modules constructed of pairs of p-type and n-type semiconductor materials forming a thermocouple. These thermocouples are connected electrically forming an array of multiple thermocouples (thermopile). They are then sandwiched between two thin ceramic wafers. When the heat from the foot is applied on the top side of the ceramic wafer and cold is applied on the opposite side, from the cold of the ground, electricity is generated.”
More information here.
Photo via Orange.