Water-powered charger is game-changer for biotech sector
A WATER-powered charger has become the latest technology to benefit from online crowdfunding site Kickstarter.
The USB compatible device, The Cube, has been developed over nine months after Nature’s Battery founders, Charles Ross and Chris Towle, combined their interest in biotechnology.
The pair met in Cairo, Egypt, in 2007, when Ross visited as a tourist and Towle was working as an engineer.
They began working on the project at the start of 2016, investing more than £150,000.
Manufactured in the Middle East itself, The Cube is built using robotics and is currently the size of a Rubik’s Cube.
Before it goes on general sale, the product will be smaller than a mobile phone, at approximately 5 x 3 x 1 inches, and fit in jeans pockets.
Ross, based in Radcliffe near Bury, who has worked in the technology sector for over two decades, told the TheBusinessDesk.com about how the product works and his vision for the future.
“Our product is absolutely sustainable and pollution-free,” he said.
“We use two primary components, magnesium, specially-treated carbon and water which enables enough wattage output to drive whatever device.
“The water causes an electro-chemical reaction which produces an electrical current.
“Whereas rechargeable phone devices need charging for three to 11 hours, ours as instantaneous.”
Ross acknowledged that while the company wants to demonstrate that the world is no longer reliant on fossil fuels, The Cube does not have to be used all the time.
“If you’ve got a mobile phone and you’re on the go all day, you may use it every day, or every other day or every week,” he said.
“When my battery runs out whilst you’re out of the house or at work, I can pour water in a Cube and I can get instant power.
“If you’re out and about, you can nip off into the loo and refill it using a tap.”
The handy device has a leak-proof seal and can be used with mobile phones, tablets and even e-cigarettes. Due to its design, it will not present the dangers of other electricity sources, including batteries which can leak acid.
It can be refilled up to 60 times before its cartridge needs to be replaced, which equates to 60 mobile phone charges.
Nature’s Battery has big plans for the future and has designed a version of the charger that is compatible with electronic cars and bicycles.
“We have designed a version to power cars and bikes,” said Ross. “It will be an emergency strap-on battery for electronic bicycles with the potential of replacing lithium batteries.”
The Cube will be on shelves from Spring 2017 and retails at approximately £20, with cartridges costing £1 each.
