Can You Imagine a Cell Phone Without a Battery?

Yes! I am talking about a cell phone that will not need a battery to work. I know, it might sound like a dream from a very distant future but that might be a reality much sooner than you think. This will be made possible using the new circuits, that works on principle of thermoelectric generators, made from semiconductor elements.

Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits have made it possible to use natural human body heat as a source of generating electricity. The thermoelectric generators extract electrical energy from the difference in temperature in hot and cold environment. As of now, this technique could offer only 200 millivolts of electricity but that could be enough to power some sensors that require very low voltage to work. In future, this technology could be extend to work in any environment where a temperate difference occurs. One such place could be a moving car wherein its engine is cooled by wind blowing into the engine compartment resulting in significant temperature differences. The electricity thus produced could then be used to power the electrical equipments within your car, but all that in near future. For now, let’s just hope that scientist make some remarkable progress and make it possible to use this technology for the masses.

» More on this technology at Fraunhofer Institute’s website.