Nokia: prototype recharges through energy harvesting

The power harvested is small, but it is enough to leave the mobile phone in standby mode, Markku Rouvala, researcher at the Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge, told The Guardian. The research group is working towards a prototype that is able to harvest up to 50 milliwatts of power – sufficient to recharge the battery of a switched-off phone. Their short-term goal however, is something in excess of 20 milliwatts, the Guardian report continues, enough power to keep a phone in standby mode. The researcher said that commercial products could possibly be launched within the next 3-4 year, although further details of the research are not available yet.