Georgia Institute of Technology: Scientists have developed a postage stamp-sized paper microphone that could charge your phone's battery using sound.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology used a laser to etch a grid of tiny holes into paper. They then coated one side with copper and placed it on a thin sheet of Teflon, joining the two sheets at one edge.
Sound waves vibrate the two sheets in different ways, causing them to pulsate, which creates an electrical charge, similar to what would be created if someone rubbed a balloon through their hair, reports New Scientist.
The microphone can also be used as a new way to recycle sound energy from the environment, and could harvest free electrical energy from the “waste” heard all around us.
The amount of power the microphone provides depends on its size, but is approximately 121 milliwatts per square meter.
“It can be made to any size you want,” said Zhong Wang of the Georgia Institute of Technology.
However, Wang said that if a postage stamp-sized microphone were placed on the phone, it would provide minimal power that would not be enough to fully charge the phone.
