Sanyo builds prototype pedometer that powers itself while you walk

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]

[bill cant fart @ Nov 10th 2008 11:12PM]

I sense many pedometers with dead batteries in the future.

[Goatee Man @ Nov 10th 2008 11:15PM]

I wonder if that uber-green suit can be seen from space?...

[saintamour @ Nov 10th 2008 11:17PM]

Pedometer?

Might wanna rethink that name.

[phanbouy @ Nov 10th 2008 11:26PM]

detects all Flashpoints

[a ham sandwich @ Nov 11th 2008 12:27AM]

i am ashamed to say i thought that too. :(

[Reader @ Nov 11th 2008 1:51AM]

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)

[phanbouy @ Nov 11th 2008 2:00AM]

He's both an Analyst and a Therapist. He's the world's first Analrapist.

[Magallanes @ Nov 11th 2008 9:18AM]

pedobearmeter?

[bootareen @ Nov 12th 2008 12:09AM]

@phanbouy:

Nice Arrested Development quote. That was the best show!

[Jared @ Nov 10th 2008 11:23PM]

She won't be healthy for too long, running like that.

[Surfaced @ Nov 10th 2008 11:51PM]

You mean in the loli-green apparel?

[Surfaced @ Nov 10th 2008 11:52PM]

Aww, they changed the picture just as I commented.
You ruin my fun, Sam.

[Jared @ Nov 10th 2008 11:59PM]

Yep, that moon-walk stride is no good on your arches!

[phanbouy @ Nov 11th 2008 1:37AM]

Sam didn't think the first girl was Asian enough for a gadget blog

[Bassir @ Nov 10th 2008 11:38PM]

Cool?

[Rekit @ Nov 10th 2008 11:57PM]

That's crazy talk.

[Paul @ Nov 11th 2008 12:03AM]

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.

[Valicore @ Nov 11th 2008 12:43AM]

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.

[Dave @ Nov 11th 2008 2:32PM]

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.

[erunama @ Nov 11th 2008 12:15AM]

Ithaca is Gorges! Though she's not currently in Ithaca.

[phanbouy @ Nov 11th 2008 1:31AM]

...

[phanbouy @ Nov 11th 2008 1:33AM]

oh! they changed the picture! DAAAAMN YOU engadget! ;P

[john @ Nov 11th 2008 12:22AM]

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

[holycow @ Nov 11th 2008 12:26AM]

What does a podometer measure?

[Valicore @ Nov 11th 2008 12:43AM]

Why, podos of course.

[phanbouy @ Nov 11th 2008 1:24AM]

Podo is the bastard cousin of Frodo.

[MarbleMind @ Nov 11th 2008 5:05AM]

@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.

[Hotrod @ Nov 11th 2008 5:34AM]

It would be sweet if they came out with a device that could charge your mobile phone, mp3 player etc.by walking/running.