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
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
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
Engineers at Innowattech in Israel recently created a new type of road that generates electricity as vehicles pass over it! The supercharged surface is embedded with piezoelectric crystals, which
Umbrellas that light up with integrated LEDs are nothing new: from Instructable's DIY illuminated umbrella to patio umbrellas available at Lowes, LED Umbrellas have been around the block. But here's a
Harvesting the kinetic energy generated by crowds of people is one of our favorite approaches to renewable energy. Recently Netherlands-based Natuurcafé La Port installed an energy generator in a
Perfect for emergency preparedness and cute to boot, this adorable penguin eco flashlight would make an excellent addition to any home. The bright light eschews a landfill-bound battery for a pump powered
The e-charkha is an ingenious update to India’s ubiquitous charkha [spinning wheel] that transforms the simple machine into a potentially significant source of energy for millions of struggling
In the age of digital photography, photographers on the go know that keeping charged is an essential consideration. Whereas most cameras use batteries for power, Sony recently revealed a unique looking
Earlier this year we highlighted Idaho startup M2E Power’s push to develop motion-powered electronics for the military. Now M2E is emphasizing the commercial applications for their technology, with a
We love our kinetic energy here at Inhabitat, and we are excited to announce inventive use of human kinetic power: The brandnew 2 GB Eco Media Player is hand-crank portable media player can play music,
Here's a great idea for a cell-phone that is thoroughly green in every way: from its biodegradable bamboo materials, to its thoughtfully considered lifecycle, to its ingenious use of kinetic human power
Gravia, a gravity based kinetic energy lamp concept, wowed our panel judges and the crowd at the Greener Gadgets Conference, earning a second place accolade in the design competition. Created by Clay
The designers at New York City based Fluxxlab studio have come up with an ingenious sustainable energy harvesting idea that makes you wonder why no one else has thought of it before. Their Revolution Door
A human-powered energy-generating gym like Hong Kong’s is now taking shape in Seattle, turning human sweat into usable electric energy. By connecting spinning bikes to wind-generator motors, clients at
We’ve been following (and fascinated by) developments in wave power technology, from Portugal's wave farm to Finavera's AquaBuoy 2.0. And now we are thrilled to announce that San Francisco-based Pacific
Pounding the pavement in your sneakers requires energy, and unfortunately, all that kinetic energy is mostly lost to the ground.... until now... Smart art students Christian Croft and Kate Harman have
