These tiny mems windmills could be used to power smartphones

Two University of Texas at Arlington researchers have filed a patent application for a tiny windmill that could be put to any number of uses, like juicing up our smartphone.

According to a Washington Post report:

The windmill is less than 2 millimeters across — small enough that about a thousand could fit on the surface of a cell phone, creating a sheath that could charge the battery, the researchers hope. They are also optimistic that the windmills could be manufactured cheaply using techniques from the semiconductor industry.

The pair’s work presents a new way of thinking about generating electricity from wind. Producing power efficiently on a utility scale requires building windmills that are as large as possible.

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