human power

Potenco, a spin-off from Squid Labs, has come up with this dynamo-like contraption that generates electricity by the work of a human hand pulling the cord. It is described in greater detail in the following excerpt from We-Make-Money-Not-Art:

Potenco is a portable, robust and ergonomic power generator: just pull a cord for a minute and it generates electric power for up to several hours. It can be used to power mobile phones, PDAs, lighting products, digital cameras, etc.

Compared to a crank, Potenco generates 5 times more power, it can be pulled 5 times longer before the user senses fatigue; it's quieter, lighter and more robust.

One minute of pulling gives 1 hour of light, 25 minutes of talk time on the phone, 230 minutes of iPod shuffle use, 45 minutes on the Nintendo DS. Millions of units will be distributed in the next few years.

Potenco has been selected as the power provider for the $100 Laptop (One Laptop per Child).

Looks like there really is a potential for human beings to generate power, and one minute of pretty much effortless pulling on a cord to generate 230 minutes of iPod shuffle use? not bad!

Just thinking, what about harnessing energy from walking? Imagine if malls lined their floors with micro generators that spew energy as people trod on them? Then putting on weight and going for aimless window shopping would no longer be seen as deplorable vices, but instead, little contributions to the bigger good of saving the earth!

Is this enough for an architectural thesis? A responsive power generating floor that tracked areas of intense use, sending thousands of micro generators to feast on the wonderfully incessant pitter patter of human feet.... Imagine a rock concert powered solely by the commendable efforts of crazy teenagers jumping up and down....

Now now, no stealing of ideas ok....