Human Powered Products Guide

Free energy DIY style

Self-powered equipment is a term used for electrical appliances which are capable of functioning without the need for explicit charging from an external source.

Such devices contain electrical generators or an induction system to recharge their batteries. Some of this equipment contains a power unit, similar to a cordless telephone's battery charged by an independent generator. Others, such as mechanically powered torches, use a clockwork mechanism to run a generator in the equipment itself.

Such devices are practical in situations where natural disaster, war or civil disturbance mean that regular power supplies are unavailable.

Human powered products include:

Wind-up radio

Known also as the clockwork radio It is powered by clockwork wind-up mechanism driving an internal electrical generator, rather than batteries, solar cells, thermoelectrics or electricity from the electrical grid.

Like other self-powered equipment, it is intended for camping, emergencies and for use in areas of the world where there is no electrical grid and replacement batteries are hard to obtain, such as in developing countries or remote settlements in developed countries. It is also useful when it will not be used on a regular basis, such as at a vacation house or cabin.

Clockwork radios sometimes incorporate a torch or other useful device. Some models include alternative power sources including conventional supplies such as batteries.

The modern clockwork radio is a patented design by Trevor Baylis through a company called Baygen. The key to its design is the use of a constant velocity spring to store the potential energy.