Innovative Wind Turbine Smaller Than a Penny Could Power Your Smartphone
The micro-windmills designed by electrical engineering professor Dr. J.-C. Chiao and research associate Smitha Rao are so tiny that a single grain of rice could hold about 10 of them, according to a news release from the university.
The duo envision embedding hundreds of micro-windmills in a sleeve for a cell phone. Users could generate electricity for the phone’s battery by waving it in the air or by holding it up to an open window on a windy day.
Thousands of turbines could be mounted on home or building walls to produce the energy needed for lighting, security, wireless communication and more.