Delhi boys build device that charges phones as you walk
Out of home, and your phone ran out of battery- feels like a nightmare, doesn't it? Looks like our dependence on smartphones is here to stay. But our charging problems can surely be curbed. And, to do so, two Delhi-based school boys created a device that charges your phone right as you walk. Fascinated? Read on to know more.
The beginning of the journey
Nearly four years ago, when in Class 10, Mohak Bhalla and Anand Gangadharan, childhood buddies and classmates, decided to translate a physics theory they learned in class into a working project for a science exhibition. Hence, the duo developed the initial prototype of what they now call the, 'Walkie Mobi Charger,' a device that charges cell phones using the kinetic energy generated from walking.
Why are we talking about it now, you might ask
Currently, both Mohak and Anand are pursuing engineering. While Mohak is studying BTech from Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Engineering, Delhi, Anand is enrolled at the Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai. Why are we talking about it now, you might ask? Well, the duo has been working on upgrading and furnishing the device to introduce it in the market in a couple of years.
"We wanted to make a device that could be marketed"
The idea behind the innovation was to infuse fitness with technology. "We wanted to make a device that could be marketed in the long run, a product that would have some actual use. So we thought, why not give them (people) an incentive while keeping them fit and increasing their love for the outdoors," Mohak told The Better India.
How does the device work?
The concept used in the working of the device is called Electromagnetic Induction. The charger is equipped with a dynamo and a buffer mechanism, that rotates so as to produce electricity in order to charge the cell phone, by using the energy created by compression and relaxation of the user's foot while walking.
The costing part of it
The first charger created by the two friends was completely made out of scrap material. The production cost at that time was Rs. 2,000. However, the duo believes that if manufactured in bulk, the price will fall down to Rs. 500 per unit.
What the future holds
The duo is now working on a refined model of the device. They also wish to make the new version wireless. The two are hopeful that the coming version will help in faster-charging, and will also work in standby mode- implying that the charging will continue even after the user has stopped walking. They are also testing the charger's suitability for other gadgets.
