Skip to main content

Energy-harvesting SOCCKET ball kicks off on Kickstarter

When we first covered the SOCCKET power-generating soccer ball back in 2010, the concept was in the prototype stages of development. Since then, the ex-Harvard University team responsible for the design has launched the for-profit social enterprise company Uncharted Play, filed patents for the SOCCKET’s kinetic energy-capturing technology and, more recently, has launched a SOCCKET Kickstarter campaign.

The SOCCKET is one of those simple-yet-effective ideas that takes something as basic and commonplace as a soccer ball and “bends it like Beckham” to the task of improving energy usage and the living conditions of those who really need it.
Designed and assembled in the U.S., the finalized product is made from water-resistant ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam that the makers say is soft and durable. Uncharted Play also says it doesn't need inflating, making it virtually deflation-proof, and weighs in at 17 oz (482 g) – only one ounce heavier than a regular size-five soccer ball. The added weight comes mostly from the charging device hidden inside.
The kinetic energy generated while having a good old kick-around with the SOCCKET is harnessed by a small pendulum-like mechanism inside the ball that turns a generator to charge a rechargeable battery. The stored energy can later be utilized in a completely off-grid way by plugging a goose neck-style LED lamp into the six watt output socket on the ball. The company claims that just 30 minutes of ball-play can power a simple LED lamp for up to three hours.
During the development of the SOCCKET, the Uncharted Play team has tested the ball’s energy-generating capabilities in places such as South America and Africa, which have many resource-poor communities (not to mention a fondness for the “World Game” itself.) According to the company's research, families within these communities often burn kerosene, wood fires and even diesel generators in and around their homes, which can be a dangerous and highly-toxic mix to themselves and the atmosphere.
The current Kickstarter project is seeking to raise funds to go to market with the SOCCKET, mass-producing it in the U.S. for export. See the video below for more details about the campaign.
At the time of writing, the Kickstarter campaign has raised just over US$32,000 out of the required $75,000. Making a pledge of $99 will snag you a SOCCKET ball and the accompanying LED lamp.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Recycled, solar-powered, boat-roofed wonder wins Shed of the Year

 The crowning glory is a 14-ft boat which has been left whole and inverted to form the roof. A 20-W solar panel powers the creature comforts inside. To create the shed's frame, the boat was fixed atop four telegraph poles plonked judiciously on a hillside amid Wales' Cambrian Mountains. (The views aren't at all bad, either). Aluminum-framed windows were salvaged from a 1940s caravan, and others were "borrowed" from Holland's farmhouse. Walls are a mixture of corrugated metal and, for a taste of the Neolithic, wattle and daub. Inside things take a turn for the high tech. The shed's PV panel feeds a battery which provides power to LED lighting and a 12-V sound system – the only new item in the construction. The shed also boasts a plumbed Belfast sink (the generous, cuboid-shaped ones), and a 19th century wood burning stove for heat fitted with a chimney fashioned from the queen pole of an old circus big top.Where sheds end and (sometimes pretentious) ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New type of silicone exhibits both viscous and elastic properties

Looking for a more effective solution to the all-too-common wobbly table dilemma than a folded up bit of cardboard or piece of rubber under the leg, University of Virginia physicist Lou Bloomfield created a new type of silicone rubber called Vistik – it's malleable enough to take on any shape when pressed, but is still resilient enough to offer support, as it  gradually starts to return to its original shape as the pressure is released. The material could have many applications ... beyond just steadying up wobbly tables. Vistik is a viscoelastic material, meaning that it exhibits both viscous and elastic properties. As a result, when compared to something such as conventional silicone rubber, there’s a considerable time lag in its response to continuous pressure. “It seems elastic in response to sudden forces or impacts, denting in proportion to the sudden, brief stress and then returning almost instantly to its earlier shape when that stress is removed,” Prof. Bloomfield ex...
Post a Comment
Read more

Roadless wheel concept adjusts to all terrains

Graduate student Ackeem Ngwenya has combined the 6000 year-old wheel with modern materials to develop a new type of all-terrain wheel assembly that switches from narrow to wide tread at the turn of a screw. His Roadless wheel system, while envisioned for rural applications in his native Malawi, has the potential to be as big a change to road (and off-road) transport as was the introduction of anti-lock braking. We've all done it. Before embarking on a long driving trip on smooth-surfaced interstate highways or other roads of national importance, we'll raise the tire pressure to boost the gas mileage a bit. Stuck in the snow, mud, or sand? Let some pressure out of the tires to increase the contact area, while at the same time increasing the chances that the now floppy tire will grab hold. However, the benefits of trying to change the aspect ratio of a tire by simply changing pressure are rather minor, and often associated with a significant loss in tire lifetime. The Road...
Post a Comment
Read more