Sanyo builds prototype pedometer that powers itself while you walk
By Samuel Axon 
posted Nov 10th 2008 11:03PM
posted Nov 10th 2008 11:03PM
These portable power generating options are a dime a dozen now, but we thought you'd still want to know that Sanyo has invented a device that'll let you turn your health obsession into electricity to power your health obsession -- a vicious cycle if we've ever seen one. It's a pedometer that generates just enough energy (40 microwatts) to keep itself ticking when the swinging motion of its health-nut wearer's body causes tiny parts to move around. Sanyo hopes to use the technology for other low-power devices in the future. As for us, we'd rather remain utterly otiose and let our battery slaves do the work for us, though we can imagine something like this might, with some improvements, prove useful to those villagers who have to walk 12 miles to charge their cell phones. [Warning: read link requires subscription]
I sense many pedometers with dead batteries in the future.
I wonder if that uber-green suit can be seen from space?...
Pedometer?
Might wanna rethink that name.
detects all Flashpoints
i am ashamed to say i thought that too. :(
I'm curious, did someone just mess up with the stems when they made the words pediatrician and pedometer? Shouldn't it be pedotrician, peditrician, etc and pedimeter or pedmeter? (forgive me, I have no idea how to properly conjugate those)
He's both an Analyst and a Therapist. He's the world's first Analrapist.
pedobearmeter?
@phanbouy:
Nice Arrested Development quote. That was the best show!
She won't be healthy for too long, running like that.
You mean in the loli-green apparel?
Aww, they changed the picture just as I commented.
You ruin my fun, Sam.
Yep, that moon-walk stride is no good on your arches!
Sam didn't think the first girl was Asian enough for a gadget blog
Cool?
That's crazy talk.
I find this so amusing. 30 years ago I had a pedometer. The thought of needing a battery for such a device seemed really silly. You just set an average pace length and every step would essentially tick the pedometer forward once pace. At the end of the walk/run, the pedometer shows your estimated distance. 100% mechanical and really probably not much different in functionality than this electronic version. I also have a 10 year old Breitling Chronomat and a 60 year old Omega something or other (in my drawer right now). Again, neither need batteries or winding. Both generate their energy by the movement of a human and store energy in a spring. The fact that this basic concept (transforming and/or storing human kinetic energy) is now being "re-discovered" and considered newsworthy is just funny.
I find it lame that this is supposed to be big news. I have a pedometer now that is mechanical and works fine. Like Paul said, it's already a widespread "technology" in watches, and has been forever.
I agree, this is just not new tech news. Anyone who wears an Automatic or Kinetic watch knows this is not new. Seiko has had it's Kinetic watches for 20 years now (an offset weight known as a rotor) turns a tiny generator recharging the Li-ion battery of the watch. Automatics have been around for over 50 years, a rotor winds a spring which powers the watch.
Ithaca is Gorges! Though she's not currently in Ithaca.
...
oh! they changed the picture! DAAAAMN YOU engadget! ;P
WOW !!! A SELF RECHARGING PODOMETER !!!! OMG THIS IS A TOTAL FIRST IN THE INDUSTRY !!! A REAL INNOVATION. the worst news EVER, and it''s not like there is nothing else to talk about
What does a podometer measure?
Why, podos of course.
Podo is the bastard cousin of Frodo.
@Valicore
A podometer measures various attributes of the human foot. It's a medical device used in podiatry.
http://katalog.gelbart.ch/default.asp?MenuID=86
foot in latin: pes, pedis -> pedometer
foot in classical greek: pous -> podometer
So nothing to make fun of, really.
It would be sweet if they came out with a device that could charge your mobile phone, mp3 player etc.by walking/running.