Battery-Free Game Boy Runs Forever
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for RandomFactor:
Battery-free Game Boy runs forever:
A hand-held video game console allowing indefinite gameplay might be a parent's worst nightmare.
But this Game Boy is not just a toy. It's a powerful proof-of-concept, developed by researchers at Northwestern University and the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, that pushes the boundaries of battery-free intermittent computing into the realm of fun and interaction.
Instead of batteries, which are costly, environmentally hazardous and ultimately end up in landfills, this device harvests energy from the sun - and the user. These advances enable gaming to last forever without having to stop and recharge the battery.
"It's the first battery-free interactive device that harvests energy from user actions," said Northwestern's Josiah Hester, who co-led the research. "When you press a button, the device converts that energy into something that powers your gaming."
[...] The teams will present the research virtually at UbiComp 2020, a major conference within the field of interactive systems, on Sept. 15.
[...] The researchers' energy aware gaming platform (ENGAGE) has the size and form factor of the original Game Boy, while being equipped with a set of solar panels around the screen. Button presses by the user are a second source of energy. Most importantly, it impersonates the Game Boy processor. Although this solution requires a lot of computational power, and therefore energy, it allows any popular retro game to be played straight from its original cartridge.
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