A group of computer scientists from Northwestern University in Illinois and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have built a custom Game Boy that’s both solar and self-powered. The handheld uses solar panels on the front to generate power, as well as using energy generated when the buttons themselves are pressed.
Another interesting aspect of the project, is power is stored via a capacitor, not a standard battery. This will allow for many more recharges, as well as the ability to operate in much harsher environments. Unfortunately, the tradeoff is the console currently has an average play time of about ten seconds.
As nerds, it’s important to recognize that projects like this aren’t the “end product”, but a proof-of-concept “jumping off point”. where people can expand on the research and theory presented here. The team hopes their work will someday evolve into a more sustainable system and plans to open source the entire project on Sept. 12, during the 2020 “UbiComp”; A conference run by the Association for Computing Machinery: https://ubicomp.org/ubicomp2020/
cnet has the full story on it here: https://www.cnet.com/features/the-first-battery-free-game-boy-wants-to-power-a-gaming-revolution/
