Video: Sony's ODO wind-up camera really works

We've seen pictures of Sony's ODO Twirl N' Take, wind-up camera before. Here in Berlin, we actually had a chance to take this eco-friendly digicam for a spin. Ha, get it? We said spin to refer to this kinetic concept camera! Amazing.

Anyway, enough with our overly-tired, undernourished gibberish, the full-on hands-on is posted after the break.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Aug 28th 2008 9:14AM]

Wow your "grasp" of the witty side of the english language astounds me, Just like this little coolio camera. See I said "grasp" as a retort to your spin with cam. Too bad we'll never get to give it a "whirl". Lawlz


Tag you're it..........

[Derry Quinn @ Aug 28th 2008 9:28AM]

Cock.

[OneLove @ Aug 28th 2008 3:37PM]

...you like...you take...you suck...you smell like...

[Tomheivers @ Aug 28th 2008 9:15AM]

It looks like crap, but I like the idea, I mean, digital cams eat batteries anyway, this solution would be quite handy

[mike @ Aug 28th 2008 9:35AM]

awsum!

[Wodheila @ Aug 28th 2008 9:20AM]

I would use this on one condition. They paid me really well to. You might as well make a sign "Hi, I'm a moron"!

[Matthewmongan @ Aug 28th 2008 10:27AM]

I like it!

[Jake Tobak @ Aug 28th 2008 9:35AM]

Proof of concept

[daaper @ Aug 28th 2008 9:45AM]

"You might as well make a sign "Hi, I'm a moron"!"

I think you just did...

[AJ in the East Bay @ Aug 28th 2008 9:20AM]

Awful images but nice concept.

[Adrian Williams @ Aug 28th 2008 9:32AM]

Looks like it should go with the OLPC

[Dillon @ Aug 28th 2008 9:36AM]

If I were holding that thing, I would be going "PEW PEW PEW!" at all my enemies heads, through that little hole in the centre.

[Kai @ Aug 28th 2008 9:40AM]

How much will it cost? If it's cheap like those webcams (the quality is about there, I'd guess) then it'll make a fun gadget...

[Jay6464 @ Aug 28th 2008 9:57AM]

As the guy says at the end of the video, there are no plans for production, it's just a proof of concept really, but imagine what could be done if we put a similar idea into car wheels, the possibility of electric cars that went someway towards recharging themselves seems like a winning idea if this was enhanced to generate a decent supply of power?

[Dave O. @ Aug 28th 2008 10:13AM]

Jay6464

Let me see if I understand you - you want to generate power from a cars wheels, so you would take energy from the engine and convert it to electricity which you would then use to power the wheels and in turn power the generator and so on ad infinitum.
How stupid can you get? As no steps can be 100% efficient all your idea does is to waste energy.
However there is a thing called regenerative braking which takes energy from the motion, slowing the car and charging the battery - this is very good

[Dillon @ Aug 28th 2008 11:47AM]

What you're describing is an alternator, which recharges the car's battery. It's been in cars almost since the beginning of there production...

[giuliop @ Aug 28th 2008 1:32PM]

@Dave O.

"Let me see if I understand you"

Not only you didn't understand a thing, you also answered on your dumb premises. Please refrain from posting obtuse comments like that.

[silencer @ Aug 28th 2008 2:06PM]

Go check out the Honda Civic Hybrid, because that's exactly how its IMA system works. When you brake it captures the kinetic energy and uses it to charge the batteries back up a bit.

[DoomGaZer @ Aug 28th 2008 10:06AM]

Wow, you know, it sure is nice that I don't have to spin that wheel on my old film camera anymore (you know, the one that advances the film) now that I've got myself a fantastic new digital cam.....................oh wait.

[kilcom7 @ Aug 28th 2008 10:12AM]

wind up electric technology is many decades old. all they did is shrink a super old tech. into a slightly not as old tech. oooohhh... ahhhhh... who cares. maybe it would look nice on the dash of some school teach cat lady's VW beetle. haha!

[thrillchuckles @ Aug 28th 2008 10:13AM]

it looks like willy wonka grew it.

[zed @ Aug 28th 2008 10:46AM]

Mmmm.Donuts...

[Jason @ Aug 28th 2008 11:43AM]

Repetetive. Stress. Disorder.

[Rick @ Aug 28th 2008 12:19PM]

It makes about as much sense as tits on a bull. You want decent power for your digicam? Stuff NiMH batteries in it.

[simon @ Aug 28th 2008 1:48PM]

My first thought was that this would be good for those markets like much of Africa where they have wind up radios becasue batteries are scarce and expensive.

[BigD145 @ Aug 28th 2008 12:34PM]

How is this plastic upchuck "eco-friendly?"

[Ignatius @ Aug 28th 2008 2:37PM]

Well, it's definitely as aesthetically friendly as the OLPC.. and that's not really saying much.

However, kudos to Sony for trying to make manually-powered electronics, not every place in the world has batteries and such.

[Joseph Young @ Aug 28th 2008 2:57PM]

Great post and vid. Would be an interesting product especially in emerging markets that don't have electricity readily available.

[Ferny @ Aug 28th 2008 6:39PM]

where does the flash come from? or is that the engadget person taking the shot?

[uhh.. @ Aug 28th 2008 6:54PM]

It looks like a pizza wheel accessory for the Wiimote.

[scoop @ Sep 11th 2008 10:02PM]

We heard the team behind this project left Sony and is now at Samsung working on eco projects so expect some cool stuff from the competition!!!!!! We cannot wait!!!!!