Orange debuts dance powered phone charger

Revellers at this weekend's Glastonbury could be working up more than a sweat as they dance to the event's headline acts thanks to a new kinetic energy device being by piloted by mobile phone company Orange.

The prototype Dance Charge device weighs just 180 grams, measures 4.25 by 2.5 inches and can be strapped to a wearer's arm in the same way as runners' iPod holders.

The system then uses a arrangement of weights and magnets to exploit the Faraday Principle that an electric current can be generated from a conductor moving in a magnetic field. Consequently, as wearers dance, the charger generates energy which is stored in a reservoir battery that can then be used later to recharge a mobile phone.

Hattie Magee, head of partnerships at Orange UK, said that the device, which was developed in conjunction with renewable energy specialist GotWind and will be issued to a number of attendees at this year's festival, was intended as "a fun, engaging and interactive product which would encourage users to have a laugh while charging their mobile phone".

However, she added that at the same time the event would provide a serious test of a new energy efficient charging prototype.

Kinetic charging systems are being widely touted by a number of firms as an ideal source of renewable power for mobile devices, such as mobile phones, MP3 players and even laptops.

US start up M2E Power, for example, last year secured $8m in venture funding amid promises that it would deliver a kinetic charging device for the US military within 12 to 18 months. The company said that it was also working on kinetic recharging batteries for use in mobile devices as well as wind, wave and tidal power systems.

In related news, Orange last week unveiled a solar and wind powered recharging tent, which will also be debuted at this weekend's Glastonbury Festival.