Portable generators just got a lot more fun with the introduction of the Soccket, an energy-harnessing soccer ball raising funds on Kickstarter. Kick the ball around, play, and have a good time. When you're done, connect an LED lamp into a port built into the ball, and light up your night.
Playing with the Soccket for 30 minutes can power an LED lamp for 3 hours. For those of us fortunate enough to have reliable electrical grids, the Soccket isn't the most necessary object in the world. For people in developing countries without many lighting options, however, it could be a fun and functional option for providing light for working or doing homework in the evening.
A pendulum-like mechanism inside the ball captures kinetic energy and stores it in a rechargeable battery. The ball is made of foam so it won't deflate. It also only weighs about an ounce more than a regular soccer ball.
The Kickstarter project is offering backers a Soccket ball and matching LED lamp for $99. The Soccket has already been prototyped and put into small-scale production. The goal of the fundraising is to scale up production. Uncharted Play, the company behind Soccket, says it will introduce a USB adapter if funding is succesful. That's the logical next step for this kickin' creation: power more types of devices.
