A multi-university team of engineers has developed what
could be a promising solution for charging smartphone batteries on the go —
without the need for an electrical cord.
Incorporated directly into a cell phone housing, the team's
nanogenerator could harvest and convert vibration energy from a surface, such
as the passenger seat of a moving vehicle, into power for the phone. "We
believe this development could be a new solution for creating self-charged
personal electronics," says Xudong Wang, an assistant professor of
materials science and engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.