The GO Kin Turns Your Steps Into Electricity
It’s a shame, really, that there aren’t electric sockets on every street corner. Battery storage is constantly improving, but it’s still not at the stage where we can reliably stay powered — there’s always a danger you’ll run out of juice mid-way through the day. But the days of such inconveniences may be numbered, thanks to the power-generating tech that GO Kin are working on with their new, prototype backpack.
It works like this; the base of the backpack holds a dynamo with two cords attached. As the wearer, you connect these cords to the back of your lower legs (either by clipping them onto your boots or using the supplied ankle straps) and the movement of your legs drives the electricity-making dynamo.
It must be said that it is quite an ungainly product in its present state — I doubt that the GO Kin will grace the catwalks of London or Paris any time soon — but its rugged effectiveness is undoubtable. According to GO Kin, five minutes of brisk walking is enough for twenty-five minutes of call time, and you can either charge directly via Mini USB, or store the power you generate in the included lithium-ion battery. The backpack’s internal power unit also has two USB ports, and you can charge the internal battery straight from the mains. In future editions, the GO Kin team want the battery pack to be able to log and export data, effectively turning it into a smart pedometer (along the lines of the Misfit and Fitbit), as well.
Right now, GO Kin is trying to gain crowdfunding on Kickstarter, with folks who pledge $395 upwards receiving one of the first-gen backpacks, which are due to start shipping from November onwards.
You can find out more about the GO Kin here.
