Power-generating rubber material could power mobile phones

Someday we may be able to charge up our mobile phone on the go by just simply walking around casually. Sounds almost farfetched right now, but it may soon become a reality. Researchers from Princeton and Caltech created a power-generating rubber material that could harness walking and other movements to charge electronic devices. The material is made from nanoribbons made out of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and a ceramic substance that’s “piezoelectric” – which means that it generates an electrical voltage when pressure is applied. Now this combination “piezo-rubber chips” are placed within clear silicone rubber sheets that produce electricity when flexed. That’s a ton of uses for this kind of technology – such as implanting them into the body to perpetually power medical devices. Of course there’s also the implementation of using it to charge your cell phone by simply walking around. Researchers are hopeful about their method and maintain that PZT is the most efficient of all piezoelectric materials – which is able to convert 80 percent of the mechanical energy applied to it into electrical energy.

via CNET