As if you needed another reason to ride a bike instead of drive, now your pedaling can power your cell phone! The technology, which as been developed by Motorola and others and implemented at such events as the Coachella Music Festival’s Energy FACtory, turns out to be quite simple, so simple in fact that you can make your own! Whether attached to the handlebars as a docking station (as in Motorola’s example) or attached directly to a generator connected to the bike, this is a great example of human power being harvested as viable, usable power. What’s next, bike powered TVs and laptops?
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I’m appalled by the cover photo; an unhelmeted cyclist and car in the same photo, and cyclist on the cell phone. This looks like the rider may be in a dedicated lane – but please, encourage Inhabitat readers to wear their helmets and pull over to take calls. Riding near cars (heck, even on Chicago’s famed Lakefront Path, car-free!) can be hazardous enough without distraction or protection.
Bicycles generating energy: great!
Riding while distracted: not great!
Bicycle as stationary energy generation: awesome! Get your exercise and entertainment at the same time.
We have been selling a bike model similar these from a manufacturer in India for years, They are a great idea for phones, radios, TV, and village lighting etc. As far as cell phone chargers go, a small on board wheel powered bike generator, or an on board solar cell phone charger allows the bike to be used for transportation while charging the cell phone. There are also now small thin wearable solar charger packs.
Another way to charge cell phones, and small computers is with a motion powered charger attached to either a wrist or ankle similar to a shake a light. There are many low cost pieces of equipment for charging small batteries free. It’s great to see all these new products!
Walt
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She doesn’t need a freakin’ helmet…but she probably should get off the phone…so should auto drivers. Also, she needs a new backpack, looks like it’s bad for her back.
[...] Motorola has developed a way to charge your cell phone from the energy produced while riding your bike. [...]
Bravo Julie…
Isn’t there one available for a moving bike. Would be much more convenient to charge something on my way to work than set up a static bike for no particular reason.
[...] inhabitat | Browse and buy various Bike at [...]
Our firm sells a bicycle cellphone charger. It can charge anything that usually plugs into a car cigarette lighter socket http://www.econvergence.net/cyclech.htm
This is a great application of old technology. I had a bicicyle nearly 50 years ago I put a headlamp on. It accepted batteries to power it when I wasn’t pedaling fast enough to create enough electricity to light the bulb sufficiently, but it also had a cheap little generator to power it when I was riding along in high style.
Heck, I even hooked up a mount for bottle rockets on my handlebars, and with some simple wiring and use of matches and nichrome wire, rode off down the street until the rockets blasted off!
Got a spanking and grounding for that, though. . . .
Wait! Are you saying I can DRIVE to a gym, then ride a stationery bike to charge my cell phone, then DRIVE back to work talking on the phone. Yahoo, now we’re making progress!
Too bad a new bike, or even a new bike-cell-charger, would have already caused more environmental harm in it’s production than saving a few watt-hours ever could.
Its great and we therefore need more of this especially in Africa