Sound-powered phones on the way as scientists generate electricity from sound waves

So, the day has finally come when no one will ever be able to say to me that all the talking that I do is useless. Scientists from Korea have found a way to transform sound waves into electricity, so I can talk all I want and the end result will only be electricity, not some burnt out brain. This is definitely a happy news for all the talkers and I bet one of the scientists is a great talker. The scientists have transformed the main ingredient of calamine lotion into a small material that will convert all the sound waves into electricity. This electricity harvesting from sound is based on the piezoelectric material, which when bent does the magical transformation.

cell phone conversations to generate electricity

As, I said the main ingredient comes from calamine lotion, zinc oxide and using this material the scientists created a field of nanowires that was held between two electrodes. And, then this was blasted with the help of sound waves, producing a current of 50milivolts. This might not be enough current to charge a cell phone, but taking in consideration that this is the beginning and a proof that this technology works, I am sure within some time to come, my conversation will be able to charge my phone.

As, Young Jun Park and Sang-Woo Kim, the two corresponding authors of a new article in the journal Advanced Materials said,

Just as speakers transform electric signals into sound, the opposite process -- of turning sound into a source of electrical power -- is possible.

The co-authors also added that this new technology can also be used in some other application in addition to the cell phones. It could find an application in sound insulating highway walls, generating electricity form the sound of the honking vehicles.

Via: Discovery News