Aug-02-13
The Hollow Flashlight is powered by the heat of a human hand—and it was developed by a fifteen-year old girl.
Ann Makosinski of St. Michaels University School built the flashlight using Peltier tiles embedded in an aluminum tube placed inside a PVC pipe. A cut-away in the pipe allows the user’s hand to come in contact with the tiles, with the difference in temperature providing enough energy to power the LEDs for 20 minutes. Because Peltier tiles rely on temperature differences to generate electricity, the flashlight does work best in colder temperatures.
The flashlight cost Makonsinki $26 to build, but she believes mass production could bring down the costs. She will be participating in the Google Science Fair this September, with a potential grand prize of $50,000.
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