It works in a similar way to a Stirling engine – technology that has been around for 200 years – which uses the energy from the heat conduction process to power a constant cycle of expanding fluids inside the coaster. The energy from the motion of these fluids is then converted into electricity.
One side is coloured red and the other blue. Hot drinks are placed on the red side and cold drinks on the reverse. Users can plug any USB-charged device into the onE Puck, such as an iPhone, Android handset or mp3 player.
Given that many office workers rely on tea or coffee to get them through the day, the onE Puck simply takes advantage of the energy those drinks give out to power phones without taking from the grid.
The device has been successfully funded through its Kickstarter campaign, which is still open to financial backers. The team says it is currently working on refining the prototype.
Source: Springwise
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