Freeing oneself from the shackles of wired PC periphery does come at a cost. In order to power such liberation, users rely on batteries. Even rechargeable ones impede workflow when they run out of juice. Designer Adele Peters proposes capturing the energy from moving, clicking and scrolling and using it to power Corky, a kinetic mouse made from recycled materials.
A finalist in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the eco-friendly peripheral has an element within the body to harvest energy from movement, a similar setup is fitted to the scroll wheel and a piezoelectric element stores energy from each click of the left and right buttons. As its name suggests, the outer shell is made from waterproofed recycled cork and all the plastics are from recycled stock too. Regional material sourcing and assembly and end of life recycling add more green points to its credentials.
Precise details of internal electrics were not outlined in the design so it's not known whether Corky will be able to harvest enough energy from user movement to enable consistent operation, such things will no doubt be answered as and when a prototype results.
The concept just missed the bronze medal in the audience vote at the Greener Gadgets 2010 Conference in New York last month, coming fourth behind a USB device charger that is powered by interior light, a rocking chair kinetic device charger and the winner, a mobile phone app that provides consumers with pertinent food information from local growers.
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