Crank Up Your Cell Phone
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 05.25.06
The Motorola PVOT, designed by Andre Minoli, is a real conversation starter. With 25 cranks, you get one minute of talk time. Your muscle adds juice to rechargeable AA batteries, then the crank folds down to serve as a microphone for the phone, which also features a dot matrix LCD and an Eraser Shield keypad. Alas the PVOT is only a concept phone—no word on whether it will ever be produced. Besides its foremost benefit as something that uses an alternative, renewable energy source, this phone could inspire a whole generation of buff arms. Is this a hand crank revolution? Check out the other hand crank products we’ve mentioned here: the Sony radio Radio, the Eton radio, and the MIT laptop. Thanks tipster Linton. ::Mobile Magazine via ::Hugg
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hi,
its an interesting vision.
but, i think batteries will make development boost in the next 5 years.
first there will be a chemical evolution. then there will be many other alternatives as such as the organic bacterial battery which just need sugar to generate electricity.
and its really cheap.
and of course hydrogen can be an alternative, if it gets much much cheaper.
so the hand crank will be seen as romantic after some years. and there will be asolutely no need because batteries will last 10 to 100 times longer.
the bacterial battery lasted in a cell phone prototype around two weeks.
furthermore i think the crank is absolutely not ergonomic.
cranking this 25times is a pain.
and by the while cranking you need to touch the display and this will be a big force on that.
and its not ergonomic to have an display which is not in the same direction like the buttons. its set in an 90degree angle across to the keyboard.
and what happens when the crank folds down to serve as a mic? the display will be on the other side of the object. so you have the keyboard on one side and the display on the other side of your mobile phone?
nice renderings. but you better rethink that model in points of ergonomy.
please excuse my errors:)
greetings from germany
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Using AA's is a great approach. The cost of replacing a lithium Ion rechargable is expensive so people just end up buying a new phone. Well now for only a few $$'S they can be replaced. Lets hope this concept phone goes ahead as too many phones end up in the bin! Oh, and I love the hand crank idea!