Energy harvesting for the office is becoming a reality and this month Logitech has introduced the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 - the company's first light-powered keyboard. The keyboard is just 7 millimeters thick and powers itself whenever there's light using integrated solar panels. Even though it's powered by light, according to Logitech the keyboard can operate for up to three months in total darkness.
The K750 features low-power integrated circuits; a power optimized wireless link and two efficient solar panels to charge the onboard battery. A Logitech solar power application will be available for download in a week's time that features a lux meter to help measure ambient light, gives at-a-glance information about battery levels, and alerts when more power is needed.
Logitech solar K750 Keyboard, image source: Techshout
A second solar keyboard launched this month is the AU Optronics solar keyboard which differs from the Logitech solar keyboard in that it is essentially a solar sheet designed to be built into laptops made by certain manufacturers. The solar panel measures around 2.1 millimetres thick and includes touch sensibility.
AU Optronics solar keyboard, image source: Techshout
Energy harvesting computer mouse design is also increasing and recent creations include the Sus-tail and Corky. Sus-tail is a computer mouse that is powered by human touch. Before use the mouse is wound up with a key, the sound feedback indicating the level of charge. Created by industrial designer Ahmet Bektes, the Sus-tail stores its wind-up key on the underside.
Sus-tail, image source: Yanko Design
Industrial designer Adele Peters has created Corky, the mouse that works off kinetic energy. Corky uses piezoelectric elements to generate energy whenever the mouse is clicked or moved around the desk, even rolling the scroll wheel generates energy. Both mice are not commercially available but could become widely used in the future.
Corky, image source: DesignBlog
And research that could bring energy harvesting to devices such as the iPad comes from researchers at Samsung and Sungkyunkwan University in Korea who are working on harvesting power from a user touching a touch-screen by integrating flexible, transparent electrodes with an energy-scavenging material to make a film that could provide supplementary power for portable electronics. Samsung's experimental device sandwiches piezoelectric nanorods between highly conductive graphene electrodes on top of flexible plastic sheets. The group aims to replace touch-screen displays with a flexible touch-sensor system that powers itself. Ultimately, this setup might generate enough power to help run the display and other parts of the device functions. Rolling up such a screen, for instance, could help recharge its batteries. The film can be printed over large areas using roll-to-roll processes, but are at least five years from the market.
Top image source: Adonai.com
For more read : Energy Harvesting and Storage for Electronic Devices 2010-2020
