Typing to power laptops

Laptop running out of battery power? Just type more.

That's the idea envisioned by Australian researchers, who have developed a way to harness the energy from typing to power electronics.

Using piezoelectrics, which converts pressure into an electric current, and a thin film technology found in microchips, researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne believe laptops could become self-powered.

Further research will be required before it’s practical for low-cost laptop integration, but Dr Mandu Bhaskaran, co-author of the research, believes the development is a step in the right direction.

“With the drive for alternative energy solutions, we need to find more efficient ways to power microchips,” said Bhaskaran.

If successful, the technology could be transferred to other devices, and be integrated into running shoes to charge mobiles or as a power source for pacemakers.