Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/06/08/orange_power_wellies/
Orange Power Wellies: march and charge your mobe
Boot 'em up
Posted in Personal Tech, 8th June 2010 10:14 GMT
Stuck in the mud and powerless?
Orange is taking groundbreaking steps in the eco world to replace carbon footprints with muddy footprints.
Step forward the Orange Power Wellies; footwear that generates electricity.
If you keep running, your phone will too
Renewable energy experts GotWind, has collaborated with Orange to develop the prototype, to be showcased - where else - at Glastonbury Festival 2010.
So how do they work?
The sole of each boot contains semiconductor material sandwiched between two thin ceramic wafers. Heat from your feet warms one side and ground below cools the other, and so electricity is conceived. Then, when you hang up your boots for the day, plug into the power output at the top of the footwear and make use of the 'welectricity' produced.
Twelve hours of stomping generates enough power to charge for an hour, which would eliminate long queues at festival charging points. But at what price?
Are the Power Wellies just a gimmick, or will they make it into production? We suspect the former, but it's fun, nevertheless.
Check out the Power Wellies in the Orange Chill n Charge area at Glastonbury Festival, June 23-29.