The classic drinking bird toy is probably the closest thing we have to a perpetual motion machine, except that it will eventually run out of water. The action of the bird constantly dipping its beak in the water and then standing back up and then dipping again are due to the design of its glass body and the fluid dynamics of the methylene chloride inside. That's explained in the linked article and in this video. Pretty cool, huh?
But listen- there's also a gadget called a triboelectric nanogenerator that harvests electricity from a static charge that happens when two materials are rubbed against each other, like when you pet a cat or comb your hair. A team led by Professor Hao Wu of the South China University of Technology linked two triboelectric nanogenerator modules to the sides of a drinking bird. The movement of the bird, powered only by evaporating water, caused the materials to constantly rub together and produce electricity. The drinking-bird triboelectric hydrovoltaic generator, or DB-THG, ran for 50 hours straight and generated output of up to 100 volts, which is enough to power a range of electronic devices. This little miracle gadget is explained and shown in a video at New Atlas. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: RobinLeicester)
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How many potatoes do you need to get the equivalent power from one DB-THG device?
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