Smarter phones require more power. So, when you need your phone to make a call because you’re stranded on the side of the road or you’re bored in the doctor’s waiting room and need to conquer that tricky Candy Crush level you’ve been stuck on, that is, undoubtedly, when your phone will run out of battery power and turn itself off.
Shouting at your phone in frustration might seem useless but your voice could soon hold enough power to juice up your phone.
Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have found a way to turn your shouts into battery power. The gadget they’ve developed uses sounds, such as screams at sports stadiums or even a simple conversation, to charge your mobile phone.
Their prototype device is about the size of a mobile phone. It uses zinc oxide to convert vibrations caused by sound into electricity in the form of nanorods. The nanorods respond to vibrations caused by sound waves from speech by converting it into five volts of energy, just enough to charge a mobile phone.
Rock music improved the performance of solar cells
This invention was inspired by a study at QMUL, which found that playing pop and rock music improved the performance of solar cells by up to 40%.
The research will help scientists improve the efficiency of solar cells using background noise. The improvement in solar cell technology would mean solar powered air conditioners and electric components on buses, trains or other vehicles.
