Pedal-Powered Bus is Almost Too Cool for School

Attending school everyday has never more eco-friendly and fun! Dutch company De Café Racer developed a pedal-powered school bus that turns going to school into a happy, healthy and cooperative

Fun and Fanciful Eco-Park Sprouts Up In Amsterdam Schipol Airport

Officially opened with a surprising picnic themed party early last month, Airport Park offers a unique place in the world for everyone to enjoy. Located before passport control within Lounge 1 it features

Solar-Powered Piezoelectric Sports Stadium Breaks Ground in India

Each section, or ripple, contains a different sporting activity space. The “droplets” vary in size, design and purpose, but Studio Symbiosis unified each section by designing them to symbolize

Maya Pedal Transforms Old Bikes into Pedal-Powered Water Pumps, Blenders and More

We've seen some incredible innovations in bicycle technology lately - from self-charging components such as the Copenhagen Wheel to designer fixies by Diesel. But what happens to these and all other bikes

TREEPODS: Carbon-Scrubbing Artificial Trees for Boston City Streets

Trees naturally filter and clean our air, but in today’s heavily polluted world, it's just too huge of a task to expect Mother Nature to take care of herself. Taking this into account, designers Mario

Photosensitive Film Turns Light into Kinetic Energy

Researchers at a Japanese company called RIKEN have discovered a way to turn light into kinetic energy through the use of molecules that change their structure when exposed to light. The molecules, when

Hybrid Electric Kinetic Photovoltaic Vehicle is One Green Machine

This Hybrid Electric-Kinetic Photovoltaic Vehicle packs some serious alternative energy punch - and it was built pretty much from the ground up by one man! It features a generator that charges a capacitor

Kitty Powered Humidifier is the Cat’s Meow!

No matter how much we adore our cats, it's easy to feel like they aren't always pulling their weight around the house -- since they pretty much just sit around all day. Well here's a way to put your lazy

World’s First Grid Scale Flywheel Energy Plant Opening Soon!

While it doesn't get nearly as much attention as alternative energy sources like solar or wind power, flywheel storage technology is definitely worth looking into. A kinetic energy-based technology that

Top 6 Designs That Harness the Energy of Physical Play

It’s often hard not to succumb to the built-in stimuli of digital entertainment - especially when it's everywhere we turn. But we often forget that there’s a lot to be had with just one’s

Energy Generating Soccer Ball Brings Power to Developing Nations

As millions of fans await the World Cup tournament, a group of Harvard alums has unveiled an ingenious soccer ball that can store energy generated by play! Dubbed the sOccket, this smart toy was invented

Shoe Generator Harvests Power from Walking

Photo courtesy of lusi These shoes were made for walking--and for producing power. A researcher at Louisiana Tech University designed a shoe that contains a small generator in its sole. When the

Nokia Files Patent for Kinetically Charged Cell Phone

Photo: Jurvetson Telecom giant Nokia recently filed a patent for a cell phone powered by kinetic energy (one of our favorite kinds of energy here at Inhabitat!). The conceived phone would charge via

READER TIP: Magtenlight Harvests Energy from Your Bike Wheels

The Magtenlight is a lighting system for your bike that uses a contact-less dynamo to generate the energy to illuminate your way at night. The system works by mounting a ring of 28 magnets on the spokes

Dual Purpose Bike Harvests Kinetic Energy

We just got a tip from reader Selvan about a dual-purpose bicycle that can be used for transportation as well as for energy production. Using a stand that fixes the bike in a stationary position and a

EMPOWER: The Energy Generating Rocking Chair

We love gadgets that glean energy from everyday actions, so we were thrilled to find this energy-generating rocking chair among this year's 18 Greener Gadgets Design Competition finalists. Perfect for

Top 5 Greener Gadgets to Look for in 2010

As greener gadget geeks, we're pretty enthralled with the assortment of energy and earth-conscious gizmos that emerged last year, and we're even more excited about what this year holds in store. Check out

ROCCO: A Kinetic Energy Harvesting Rocking Horse

If you’ve got a toddler running about the house you may have asked yourself “Isn’t there some way I could put all of that energy to good use?” Well the folks who came up with

Energy Generating Soccer Ball Brings Clean Power to Off-Grid Areas

When the sun goes down many developing countries rely upon dangerous kerosene lamps, which emit hazardous fumes and generate 190 million metric tons of CO2 each year. Seeking an eco-friendly alternative

Scientists Develop Flexible Energy-Harvesting Rubber Sheets

Piezoelectric energy is nothing new, but researchers at Princeton University have developed a new type of electricity-harvesting rubber sheet that has the potential to change the way we power electronic

Twirling Battery Provides Instant Energy for a Dead Cellphone

This spinning kinetic cellphone battery is a smart solution for times when your phone is dangerously low on juice. With a simple twirl of your finger, you can charge your battery with enough energy to

Power Your Music Player With Your Running Pants

Instead of just burning calories, why not use all that energy from exercising to power your MP3 player? The Dancepants Kinetic Music Player, a shortlisted entry in Designboom's Green Life competition,

Manhole of the Future is Powered by Rainwater

Instead of acting as one of the most bland parts of city landscapes, what if manholes served a purpose? That’s what designers Cheolyeon Jo and Youngsun Lee propose with their “Eco Sign“,

Pavegen: Energy Generating Pavement Hits the Streets

Any one point on a busy street can receive up to 50,000 steps a day, so imagine if you could take all that foot traffic and turn it into something useful - like energy! A new product designed by Laurence

Fountainhead Reposited: Water Island is an Exercise in Filtration

Synch your workout with a little river detox, then rehydrate with a cup of the fresh water you just filtered. This people-powered water purification island, designed by Jakub Szczesny as part of the

Rocking Chair Uses Motion to Power Attached OLED Lamp

The serene back-and-forth movement of a rocking chair is nothing if not relaxing. It can also be useful and productive, according to Rochus Jacob. The designer's Murakami Chair, a winner in designboom's

Hybrid Squared: Ingenious Energy-Generating Bike Rental System

Designer Chiyu Chen has conceived of an ingenious transit system that encourages the use of sustainable transportation by crediting people for renting and riding bicycles. His Hybrid2 system consists of a

Kinetic Prayer Wheels Transform Prayers Into Energy

Every year millions of tourists and locals descend upon Tibet’s temples and spin the prayer wheels contained inside. If the mechanical energy generated by the movement of these spinning wheels could be

Kyocera Unveils Kinetic Flexible OLED Cell Phone

Charting the future of cell phone technology, Kyocera recently unveiled a kinetic energy-powered phone that is capable of folding up like a wallet. Designed by industrial designer Susan McKinney, the EOS

POWERleap Harnesses Energy From Foot Steps!

Here's a brilliant invention that makes us wonder why all city sidewalks aren't covered in piezoelectric tiles. POWERleap is a floor tiling system that converts wasted energy from human foot traffic into

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