Orange has announced a prototype mobile phone charger called the Orange ‘Sound Charge’. It’s a t-shirt that contains piezoelectric film, which converts sound waves into electrical charge. This is stored by a rechargeable battery within the t-shirt. An interchangeable lead allows a variety of mobile phones to be connected and charged.
Sound levels of around 80dB - around the same as a busy street - will generate up to 6 watt hours of power during a weekend, which is enough to fully charge two standard mobile phones or one smartphone.
Andrew Pearcey, Head of Sponsorship at Orange UK, said “In a vibrant festival environment such as Glastonbury, sound is such an obvious medium that it seemed like a natural fit to use it in the development of this year’s prototype. Orange’s commitment and ethos around innovation is as strong as ever and we envisage that this pioneering technology could really change the face of mobile charging in environments where eco charging solutions need to be found. It could even influence trends in fashion, with designers looking to integrate this passive charging solution into clothing.”
The Sound Charge t-shirt has been revealed as part of Orange UK’s involvement with the Glastonbury Festival. Last year the company demonstrated mobile phone charging ‘Power Wellies’.