By David Ponce
Primitive though it may be, walking is an endeavor still enjoyed by a few. And these sprightly urbanites will soon be able to get something in return for their efforts (you know, aside from good health): gadget-recharging electricity. The nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) is a device that harvests the kinetic energy of your walking and turns it into electricity, charging most devices up to 80% with just one hour’s worth of walking. Toss it into a bag along with any USB 2.0 powered device, and it’ll charge as you walk. The rep did not mention whether jumping around spastically would make things go faster.
The nPower PEG in being pre-sold on their website, and will be available in six months for $149. The company hopes that as it gets manufactured in increasingly larger quantities, the price will drop accordingly.
Full press release after the jump.
The power is in you! With the nPower™ PEG, you create power for charging your cell phone, iPod,
and other handheld devices. Just place the lightweight nPower™ PEG in your bag or on your hip,
attach it to your device, and you’ll create energy any time you need it. The PEG works when you are
in motion, so you don’t have to worry about being near a power outlet or running out of a charge
while on the go ever again.
The up and down movement from your walking or running creates kinetic energy. The nPower™
PEG:
? harvests kinetic energy to charge handheld electronic devices at the
same rate as a wall charger, which means most devices reach an 80%
charge with just an hour of walking throughout the day.
? is a green technology that literally allows you to create renewable
energy by walking, thus reducing your personal carbon footprint.
? is compatible with over 90% of handheld electronic devices, including
cell phones, MP3 players, handheld gaming devices, handheld GPS,
digital cameras, and more.
? appeals to consumers as 12% of the general population and 33% of ecofriendly
consumers would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ purchase according
to recent independent consumer research.
The nPower™ PEG addresses the problem of the world’s increased demand for electricity, and
consumers’ lack of an effective alternative energy option. The initial potential market for the
nPower™ PEG is composed of the 23.2 million Americans who carry handheld mobile electronic
devices and walk for approximately one hour per day. The nPower™ PEG could remove 25.4 million
kilowatts of power from the grid — the collective annual electricity needed to charge 23.2 million cell
phones at 3 watts for one hour per day (approximate amount of power needed annually for 21,000
households).
