Finally...something that makes sense.

At ten bucks a pop! I'd snatch one up in a heart beat.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big-abc-news/lantern-powered-gravity-071039684.html

When I saw this on yahoo news it piqued my curiosity. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that it actually works!

7,711 views 13 replies
Reply #1 Top

Very cool, makes perfect sense, I want some for my home! I wonder what else could be powered this way… :D

Reply #2 Top

That is awesome! :thumbsup: 5* 5*

Reply #3 Top

Amazed that Faraday's Principle hadn't been explored more and earlier...

It is awesome... especially as there are flashlights which do the same thing for some time [just search for Shake Flashlight Magnetic Induction Bright LED Rechargeable Flash Light].

There are teams in other countries which are also experimenting with the same method of generating electric power from ocean wave action.

Makes wonderful sense!

Reply #4 Top

This could have many other applications, like the bag with the weights and generator being hidden in a wall, and when the bag gets to a certain height, a sensor trips and pulls the bag back up automatically to start he cycle over again. Would have to work out the specifics, but one could have lot's of potential with this one. You could light your whole house, great idea! :thumbsup:

Reply #5 Top

I think this time around it just might catch on. Since gravity is everywhere, in everything, to one extent or another, it could wipe out this country's deficit real fast. Or any other for that matter.

Reply #6 Top

Quoting LightStar, reply 4
This could have many other applications, like the bag with the weights and generator being hidden in a wall, and when the bag gets to a certain height, a sensor trips and pulls the bag back up automatically to start he cycle over again. Would have to work out the specifics, but one could have lot's of potential with this one. You could light your whole house, great idea!
End of LightStar's quote

Inventing perpetual motion now, are we?....;)

Pulling the bag up again requires energy....yep...you could use a little electric winch....but wait....if you have an electric winch you may as well just have an electric light...;)

 

Reply #7 Top

There's also wind-up radios.....and I have a couple of wind-up torches.  It's all simple stuff....but someone somewhere has to provide the INITIAL energy source....;)

Reply #8 Top

Quoting DPCloud, reply 1
Very cool, makes perfect sense, I want some for my home! I wonder what else could be powered this way…
End of DPCloud's quote
Who knows, maybe a clock with weights that could be pulled up every few days to.....oh, wait.......or is that weight.....

http://ticktocktony.com/Antique-Clock-History/grandfather-clock-history.html

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/clock2.htm

+1 Loading…
Reply #9 Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 6

Quoting LightStar, reply 4This could have many other applications, like the bag with the weights and generator being hidden in a wall, and when the bag gets to a certain height, a sensor trips and pulls the bag back up automatically to start he cycle over again. Would have to work out the specifics, but one could have lot's of potential with this one. You could light your whole house, great idea!

Inventing perpetual motion now, are we?....

Pulling the bag up again requires energy....yep...you could use a little electric winch....but wait....if you have an electric winch you may as well just have an electric light...

 
End of Jafo's quote

 

That is why I said "Would have to work out the specifics" Paul. But there is a lot of potential with this product for safely lighting a home in poorer countries, and even in richer countries. I could even see it powering an entire house using storage batteries, but on a larger scale of course.  How about a large outdoor environmentally protected wall of weights, or even a single large weight on a pivot that could be easily spun by the backup battery power to put the weight back on top, and when it gets near the bottom again it pivots once more putting the weight at the top. Again, specifics would need to be worked out... would definitely need to use LED lights though, more efficient and no heat!

Reply #10 Top

Quoting Wizard1956, reply 8
Quoting DPCloud, reply 1Very cool, makes perfect sense, I want some for my home! I wonder what else could be powered this way… Who knows, maybe a clock with weights that could be pulled up every few days to.....oh, wait.......or is that weight.....
End of Wizard1956's quote


http://ticktocktony.com/Antique-Clock-History/grandfather-clock-history.html

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/clock2.htm

Those are good but this one would have been more up my ally. :rofl:

http://www.salemclock.com/extra/cuckoo%20history.htm

Reply #12 Top

All those people peddling furiously on exercise bicycles and treadmills that go nowhere - plug 'em into generators.  Matrix (or Gilligan's Island) realized.

Reply #13 Top

This is very awesome and will be effective if they will get some specs sorted. However do they really tend to do a mass support with low costs? I would love to see this massively used in households but what if the profit comes first? It would be a shame then. Remember electro-vehicles or everything else being on the paper since the second half of 20. century. There always has been considered the profitability factor rather than what is the real impact to the environment or human being. 

 

I am not saying this necessarily is the case...  :-"