Transform sound into energy

I have always liked the idea of how Sebastian Shaw always knocked himself up (you can stop laughing now) each morning in order to have a reserve of strength throughout the day, and Bishop, who hails from the future and is capable of absorbing energy and using it in other creative methods, have such creative mutant powers. Us humans can only fantasize of such a situation, but perhaps the future might arrive sooner than we think – researchers over at Purdue University have come up with a new medical implant that is extremely partial to music – by developing a pressure sensitive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that relies on sound waves as a source of potential energy.

Currently in a proof-of-concept stage, the MEMS boasts of a vibrating cantilever which is receptive to sound as well as music, as long as those remain within the 200Hz to 500Hz frequency spectrum, which is most of the time located towards the bottom end of the audible range. With this subcutaneous implant in one’s body, it can convert low-frequency vibrations into energy, stashing it away in a capacitor. The moment the cantilever stops vibrating, it will send an electrical charge to a sensor, take a pressure reading, and the result will be transmitted out via radio waves for monitoring purposes after that. So far, immediate real world applications comprise diagnosing and treating incontinence, but gadgetheads out there probably have far more creative ideas. A self-powered pair of headphones, perhaps?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Audio, Gadgets, Medical
Tags: invention