Say goodbye to cell phone batteries that need replacing and just end up leeching toxic elements into landfills because cell phones in the near future could be powered by the spoken word — literally.
Researchers from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University have been experimenting with power harvesting using piezoelectric materials (nanotechnology that can convert energy at a 100 percent increase without the use of batteries). In layman's terms, this nanotechnology can turn sound waves or movement into energy that can then power electronic devices.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2010.