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Balls That Charge Your Batteries

treehugger.com — The aptly named Roll Charger harnesses energy from the ball's motion. It converts that kinetic energy into electricity. That electricity is then used to charge a single battery within the ball.

Who dugg this? Made popular May 5, 2009

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66 Comments

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  • JohnnyDIGGme, on 05/05/2009, -1/+32This is very cool. However, the design shows a Red light when it's charged, and a Green light when it's charging. That's odd.
  • TriZz, on 05/05/2009, -1/+26I prefer batteries that charge your balls...
  • kingofinternet, on 05/05/2009, -1/+26It is funny because balls is a vernacular term for testicles!
  • pintocat, on 05/05/2009, -0/+22Isn't that what got Abu Ghraib in trouble? O.o
  • twiztidsinz, on 05/05/2009, -0/+19Red for STOP PLAYING WITH YOUR BALLS!
  • FeloniusMonkey, on 05/05/2009, -0/+16"*****, the remote's dead!"
    "Why don't you go play with your balls, dear?"
  • Gr00ver, on 05/05/2009, -3/+12BALLS OF STEEL!
  • chronopublish, on 05/05/2009, -0/+8They have, it's called regenerative braking. When the car is coasting, the forward motion of the vehicle charges the batteries. Hybrids and electric vehicles do this.

    Don't be getting any perpetual motion ideas. The energy captured from slowing down is always less than the energy required to bring the car back up to speed.

    EDIT: Original comment said it would be cool if they adapted this technology for cars.
  • warcin, on 05/05/2009, -0/+7Probably the best quote on the page
    "Who knew I could save the environmnt by playing with my balls!"
  • ThisIsntMyChili, on 05/05/2009, -0/+7LAW POWER!
  • inactive, on 05/05/2009, -0/+6I was hoping there would be hamsters involved and an underground sweatshop in China working for Energizer.
  • empraptor, on 05/05/2009, -1/+6better? - charge your batteries by harnessing the kinetic energy of dildos
  • LordStryker, on 05/05/2009, -0/+5Looks like a thermal detonator.
  • foofightrs777, on 05/05/2009, -1/+6Damn, yo these balls is scary! They have "law" power. In other words, these balls are law.
  • HonoredMule, on 05/05/2009, -0/+4It's probably because in China red is associated with "go" and green with "stop"...basically the intuition attached to the meaning of those colors is the exact opposite from that of western culture.

    I would never have known that if it had not come up in an HCI class that included some Chinese students. What the teacher thought was poor UI design in their work was actually a cultural difference, which of course fits right into that subject which is an important part of HCI evaluation.
  • piieerrrree, on 05/05/2009, -0/+4wtb energy balls
  • Pitak89, on 05/05/2009, -2/+6I don't like the words battery and balls in the same sentence.
  • feelmypimphand, on 05/05/2009, -2/+6Excessive handling could result in static discharge.
  • Charlotte_Web, on 05/05/2009, -0/+4"Because he's holding a AA battery charger" just doesn't seem to have the same effect.
  • christor, on 05/05/2009, -0/+4And it was the perfect opportunity for... In Soviet Russia, batteries charge ....
  • jkroge, on 05/05/2009, -0/+4It seems like the indicator light would just drain the batteries. How much energy is even generated by moving the balls?
  • rerler, on 05/05/2009, -5/+8I would buy these, without a doubt! A very very good idea.
  • insanebrain, on 05/05/2009, -0/+3touching balls ?? no thanx.
  • TnTBass, on 05/05/2009, -0/+3"Honey, the remote is dead. Can you come here and play with my balls?"
  • CptCheerios, on 05/05/2009, -0/+3"Keep out of reach of small children"
    WTH! Who else do the expect to charge the batteries up for house on end!
  • stonebone4, on 05/05/2009, -0/+3GET OFF THE VENT
  • warriorscot, on 05/05/2009, -0/+3Maybe it is a chinese thing, different colours mean different things in different cultures and whereas red is typically a bad or warning colour in the west it is lucky in the east and means good things.
  • AlienMushroom, on 05/05/2009, -0/+3Make the LED flashing green to see the power of law. /s
  • simpleid, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2This could revolutionize the hamster ball - the matrix is real!
  • ckossl325xi, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2"flash green: LAW power"

    These balls know jurisprudence!
  • tahseenm, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2IMA CHAGIN MY BALLZ!
  • inactive, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2It sure beats the converse!
  • merlin5, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2Nothing new here. Play with your balls untill you get a charge?
  • Dunpite, on 05/05/2009, -5/+7Insert cheesy pun regarding men genital sack here
  • charlietuna, on 05/05/2009, -1/+3Is Pete Schweddy behind this?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9BqNOjPJxw
    (+ dupe)
    http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips ...
  • johnomaz, on 05/05/2009, -1/+3Not sure why you are being dugg down. I too would buy them. I tend to get fidgety when i sit on the couch watching TV and end up fiddling with something in my hand. (No, not that you dirty people =P)
  • aRtFrEeK101, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2Can you reverse that?
  • empraptor, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2perfect gift for your significant other. ask them to play with the balls to charge up the battery then put it in the socket to discharge.
  • mk47k, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2DUGG-for tittle alone
  • inactive, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2You want to hook what up to my balls?
  • stonebone4, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2http://www.x-pertees.com/zencart/images/this%20is% ...
  • RedLeaf19, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2Feel your balls. Squeeze your balls. Tease your balls. Please your balls.

    Damn you Tom Green.
  • thyagobr, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2I think tThis is a mental conditioning for "Go Green".
    Lemme know if you plant a tree in your garden a week after using this thing.
  • eh270, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2How long do you have to juggle your balls to get fully charged?
  • dacheetah, on 05/06/2009, -0/+2All of those (sans pet ball, which needs room for a pet) would not want to be slowed down by a dynamo.

    Having used a bike that generates power for the lamp on the front (Pre-LED) I can tell you peddling is a lot harder when your trying to maintain kinetic energy AND generate electricity...

    The point of this is that when fiddling, the energy is wasted, might as well charge something, when riding/driving/fanning you want as much efficiency as possible.
  • AdmiralAcbar, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2I just signed in to say that.
  • Dustmuffins, on 05/06/2009, -0/+2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE3KdcTgrno
  • rdolishny, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2Headlines That Make Me Smile
  • siwasher, on 05/06/2009, -0/+2All you nine-year-olds are hilarious, but I'm seriously wondering if, instead of exercising, I could put these on the floor of my car and let them charge batteries by rolling around while I'm driving.
  • helluvaguy, on 05/05/2009, -0/+2Nice concept. But make these in the shape of boobs and we are set to go...
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