Taking a cue from the Dutch, researchers are using windmills to generate power for modern devices such as our mobile phones.
Of course, these windmills will have to be scaled way down - such that as many of them can fit into a single grain of rice.
Researchers at the University of Texas Arlington developed exactly that, according to a report on tech site The Verge.
"If you were to glue a hundred of them onto a cell phone case and hold it out the window, you could potentially revive your dead phone in just a few minutes," it quoted researcher J.C. Chiao as saying.
The Verge said the windmills measure all of 1.8mm wide but are relatively durable as they are made of flexible nickel alloy components.
Such windmills can stand up to strong winds without fracturing, the report said.
UTA said the micro-windmills may have applications as "surgical tools, sensing machines to explore disaster zones or manufacturing tools to assemble micro-machines."
"Flat panels with thousand of windmills could be made and mounted on the walls of houses or building to harvest energy for lighting, security or environmental sensing and wireless communication," it added.
Commercial applications
The Verge said Taiwan-based fabrication foundry WinMEMS has sought exclusive rights to to commercializing the concept.
"Tiny windmills might not be the energy crisis panacea you had in mind, but thinking outside the box will very likely get us there," it added. — TJD, GMA News
