Portable solar chargers aren't so out of the ordinary anymore, but minuscule windmills that can charge your phones? Now, those are something new. A couple of UT Arlington researchers, Smitha Rao and J.C. Chiao, have developed wind turbines so small (they measure 1.8mm at their widest), you can stick 10 of them on a grain of rice. One possible application is to embed a bunch of the Lilliputian devices onto a phone sleeve -- you can then simply hold your phone out the window or place it in front of a fan to recharge. Since the tiny windmills are made of durable nickel alloy, you won't have to worry about strong wings blowing their little blades off, either. Although it's still too early to say if this leads to an actual product, a Taiwanese company is already exploring commercial opportunities, so cross your fingers if you dream of owning a wind farm for ants.
Custom HTML Preview
Why are you writers always stereotype to these Asian inventors by comparing their invention to rice all the time?
Wow, you really are searching for a stereotype. A grain of rice or sand are commonly used to compare really small things. It gives a prospective as to how small it is. Also, what's wrong if rice is a staple food for most Asians?
This comment has been deleted
WHAAT IS THIS GUY WRITING?? Seriously. "Don't worry about strong wings blowing the little blades off?" and as CeeGii said, wind farm for ants?..........................................
Windmills 'mill' grain, (clue is in the name)
Wind turbines create electricity.
Referring to the two in the same article is bad form.
Boring and stupid. Where is my jetpack?
Easy, Breezy
so how many hundred millions will the government give them i wonder?
Ok so the Wind won't damage these, but what happens when I slip my phone and its turbine covered sleeve into or out of my Pocket 20 times a day?
that is just stupid hot air
i want a turbine for my roof. or back garden. i swear its possible? along with solar panels. sick of funding these energy cartels
@BigDaveWith a turbine you'll just be funding a different energy cartel
@junkyardwillie @BigDave true. so... kickstarter project?
@BigDave Just wait till you see the cost; the cartel will look like a charity.
we should insead make small turbines with those generators and plant them in our aorta and charge them useless smarwatches with our heart
@spejr Wouldn't that affect our blood pressure?
@Olafgarten @spejr Reading articles like this will affect our blood pressure...
Maybe use it on roofing and sidings?
Turning a fan on and using tiny windmills to charge your smartphone is just so... its so... its just so darn... ineligible
Finally, a real reason to FART in public!
"Who cut the cheese?"
"Oh sorry my Cellphone died."
WHAT IS THIS? A wind farm for ANTS!?!?!?
this isnt a joke?
well at least they are getting the April fool jokes in 3 months early this year. maybe bald men could have them implanted on their heads, enough of the units would look like hair at a distance. A cable could run down from center at back of the neck connected to a plug in a pocket which goes to a mobile phone, keeping fully charged all the time.
imagine how many cellphones you could charge after a meal at taco bell
I can't imagine a better way to charge my phone than to hold it in front of a fan.
Is nobody else troubled by the line: "simply hold your phone out the window". How can this possibly be a good idea?
does'nt have to be rare earths,bi-metals will do the job.
they should be quite efficent,very simple design leaves very few extra places for losses.
We could use the yolk candles at the chicken farm to make enough wind for those little mills.
and HOW? exactly does this generate electricity. Even if the fan were made of rare earth its output would be minuscule. At this scale I suspect even solar would outperform it. The bearings will be a nightmare and prone to dust humid conditions locking it up never mind physical damage.
I can't seem to find any source material on how much voltage/current these things put out. Kind of a important number when you are featuring a electrical generator....
"One possible application is to embed a bunch of the Lilliputian devices onto a phone sleeve -- you can then simply hold your phone out the window or place it in front of a fan to recharge."
Do the math and even when running it's impossible to charge a phone in less than 18 hours. These things are like trying to inflate the Hindenburg with a bicycle pump!
I'm blown away by this development.
@The_Pocketfox This is the first I've caught wind of this.
@The_Pocketfox This idea breezed right by me as well.
@diane.ow @The_Pocketfox how egg-citing!
@diane.ow@The_PocketfoxNah, it's all bluster.
@The_Pocketfox hope they seize the WINDow of opportunity to make this happen
@The_Pocketfox i'm already a "fan"
@The_Pocketfox It's all just a bunch of hot air...
I've got nothing..
Oooh. Wait. Innovative!... Just a nice breath of fresh air.