Battery-less remote gets power from button presses, aims for production in 2011
By Darren Murph 
posted November 18th 2009 6:38PM
posted November 18th 2009 6:38PM
posted November 18th 2009 6:38PM
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i guess this is based on piezoelectricity?
the same technology used for harvesting power from floor mats?
this seems quite useful!
DAAAAAAMN i could of thought of that...it genus but so simple
* genius
Isn't the Storm 2 based on piezoelectricity?
*have
Will this control my neighbor's TV if I strap a vibrator to it?
I love the angle the photo is taken at... so you can't see how ridonkulously thick it (probably) is...
But then again... it is just a prototype.
Wouldn't a solar powered remote with a rechargeable battery be just as good? These things don't use that much electricity to begin with, and even the light reflected off of a projection screen should be enough to give a charge.
@E71: Even that angle doesn't hide that fact that, er, it is a bare circuit board with components attached :) I don't think they were prioritising pretty this time around.
@creepinshadow
Reminds me very much of the worlds first remote control for a TV: The Zenith Space Command, and it did not require batteries.
Sweet invention.
Perfect grammar by the write w00t!
gremmer*
laern 2 spelt idoit
this is pure genius o.o
This is something the mighty Poseidon would be proud of!!
If you don't use it for a few months, will you have to press some buttons a couple dozen times to get it primed before using it?
Sounds about right... oh we are talking about the remote?
no, he was definitely talking about your wife.
Hopefully "battery-less" means that there isn't even a rechargeable battery inside it, so instead the action of one click will be enough to power that click's signal.
This won't work with those cool touch screen remotes.
Maybe some day they'll make a resistive touchscreen that does work! capacitive probably SOL though.
Yes, if they had a Stormesque display.
awesome. justification of mashing the buttons on the remote repeatedly *and intensely* makes this win.
I always thought they should just put a hand crank on a remote or make it so you shake it a few times and then it works for 5 minutes.
Seems they're skipping that innovation. It would be easier and make sense, though.
What, so some people will still be watching TV in 2011??
Very nice idea.
I wonder if this could be applied to game controllers and wireless keyboards.
no kidding - why can't waving a wiimote around work? At least make the batteries last longer...
Talk about button-mashing.
If there isnt enough power to turn on the device you have to jam the buttons a bunch of times. They should have a do nothing button to get some power into the the remote with out potential annoyance!
Without constant power how could my remote remember the programmable code for the DVR and the TV. I suppose the code could be set with dip switches. Okay, I'm on board.
...of course my current remote has had the same batteries for 5 years. It's not like this is a HUGE problem.
A small amount of flash memory will do it.
fine, now where is it my copy of track & field 84 ?
Will it possible to incorporate the technology into laptop keyboards - charge battery by typing (a lot)?
Only if you can type very, VERY fast. A better idea would be a hand crank, like the OLPC.
Hand cranks on mainstream laptops would actually be a great idea.
This is the Holy grail!
Will I need to shake it up to make it light up? I don't want to give up being able to see what I'm pressing in the dark.
Remind anybody else of the first TV remote?
The Zenith Space Command was a battery-less and wireless remote control, released in 1956. The mechanical buttons struck a short bar of metal, producing ultrasound on a frequency the TV recognized as "channel up" or "mute".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_control#Television_Remote_Controls
Came here to say just this, so, yeah. Pretty remarkable for tuned circuits and tubes in 1956.
The more things change...
I was thinking the same thing. NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!
I wonder how much the Battery Industry would love something like this to go away. Sure it'll be expensive at first but years from now it'll be much cheaper and in more devices.
Awesome idea. I wonder if my button mashing could power an Xbox controller? Or at least extended the battery life.....
If i were Energizer or Duracell, i would start talking to remote makers more seriously about backlit lcd remotes
Oh hell yes. Kudos, NEC.
Definitely a men friendly remote. Honey, I’m not flipping through channels for the heck of it, I’m just trying to charge the remote.
pure effing genius. one fo those i coulda did that moments. but i didnt. fail. fail. fail.
I wonder how far this idea can go? Could we use gyros in mice to power them? You could add this just about anything and add at least marginal battery life. I like that.
How do I login without finding a previous post or (what I'm doing now) adding a comment so I can select it after?
@Muddy So now they change things.
Can't wait to have a universal remote with this technology.