Hello Partners!

Its Christmas week! I am imagining the bubbling excitement at the prospect of our kids playing a handheld video game that has the endless ability to remain fully charged!

In practice, this would be an absolute nightmare for me. However, the concept of a device that can hold a charge indefinitely has some interesting implications.

Researchers at Northwestern University and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have developed a battery-free Game Boy. This is a battery-free adaptation of the most popular hand-held gaming console of all time; the 8-bit Nintendo 64. The device generates power from user interaction. When the user presses a button, “the device converts that energy into something that powers your gaming.” (Northwestern Now)

The importance of this not only has implications in the realm of sustainable gaming but its application can be expanded into other areas of computing. The overall goal here is to reduce or eliminate the need for a battery. Batteries are expensive, they contain materials that are hazardous to the environment, and they, all too often, end up in landfills. To eliminate these issues in their entirety, why not eliminate the battery itself?

This technology is in its infancy stages and is far from perfect. For example, it produces enough power for a user to enjoy a game of solitaire or chess. However, many of today’s games have more sophisticated graphics that require more memory. More memory means more energy and this new device is not equipped to handle these demands just yet. However, research and development continue and I am sure it will not be long before we begin to see our first battery-free gaming consoles on the shelves. Parents brace yourselves!

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Sources:
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2020/09/battery-free-game-boy-runs-forever/