Have you ever thought of being able to recharge the
smartphone's battery by using heat energy? Well, this imagination will come true
if this Ikea concept has been realized.
This project is called Heat Harvest, and it's developed by
Space10 research laboratory that's run by Ikea. The idea behind this innovation
is that you can take advantage of the heat energy in the house into electrical
energy.
Converting heat energy into electricity is indeed not a new
thing, but what if it all could be done only by using a table? this interesting
concept that will be offered by Heat Harvest.
So, when this technology is applied to a table, the table
can absorb heat from various sources, such as from the hot teapot, hot coffee
pitcher, or from a pot of soup that has been heated on the stove. Furthermore,
you can simply place the smartphone on the table and then the charging process
will take place.
Another interesting example is from the laptop, in average,
a laptop that's being used will consume about 40 watts of power and at the same
time it generates heat in an amount that almost the same. When the laptop is
placed on the table that has been equipped with Heat Harvest technology, the
heat energy will be absorbed and converted into electrical energy that could be
channeled to other devices.
The application doesn't have to be in the form of a table, it
can also in the form of a small saucer that's placed under the set-top box or
other devices that generally generate heat when they are turned on.
If viewed from another angle, yes, this is indeed one of the
other forms of wireless charging technology. It also means the devices that
will be recharged should support this technology, but as we know, the latest generations
of smartphones on average have been packed with wireless charging technology.
The unique idea of Heat Harvest is the source of the
electrical energy; basically the users will get an extra power supply without
having to pay a penny. Everything comes from the heat energy that's generated
by household tools or devices that previously were considered useless.
Not to mention if viewed from the practicality aspect. Just
imagine, during the breakfast, your smartphone which's put on the table will
also be recharged, and the electrical energy used won't be noted in the monthly
bill.
Of course, the Heat Harvest technology so far is still in
the form of concept - or at least a prototype - and it still requires further
development. So let's wait and see!