Could your iPod be charged with your heartbeat?

We spend a lot of time here at Connected Health bringing you the latest apps and gadgets that could potentially make your eyes better, test your fitness, reduce tinnitus and even monitor your heart. This morning I thought we’d turn it all upside down and look at the possibility of the human heart to charge on of the most popular devices around: the iPod.

The human body is a brilliant thing and scientists are hoping that a person’s heartbeat could be used to charge electronics that don’t require batteries such as the iPod or smartphones.

Last year, a team from National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society demonstrated a tiny chip that uses the body’s movement to generate power. Described as a ‘milestone’ in nanotechnology, the chip is made up of millions of zinc oxide nanowires that generate electricity when flexed or strained. This means virtually any body movement – from walking to a heartbeat – could generate power.

Dr Zhong Lin Wang, of Georgia Institute of Technology said: “This development represents a milestone toward producing portable electronics that can be powered by body movements without the use of batteries or electrical outlets.

“Our nanogenerators are poised to change lives in the future. Their potential is only limited by one’s imagination.”

I’d say this brings new meaning to the term ‘green energy’.

[via Telegraph]

By Elisabeth Edvardsen