Our supply of fossil fuels is by no means infinite and cutting down forests en masse is certainly not a solution to the problem, so the question of alternative power supplies is one that requires our attention. These alternatives may include wind, hydro-electricity or solar power and they are all pretty common and areas we are actively working in, but there are times and places where there is no wind, sun or water removing the potential for a constant, natural power supply and obtaining a supply to mains power requires cables, increased bills and sometimes, alterations to a building to run cables through, but where there are people, there is power.
At blackbox-av, we like to feel we are slightly ahead of the game. We produce a sound store called the U-Turn Round which makes use of a wind-up dynamo as its power source eliminating the need for cables, batteries, clear skies, wind or water. You simply turn the handle until the message begins to play. The device calculates how much power it requires to play a message which is gathered through the turning of the handle. Once enough power has been gathered, the message will play through. Our clever method of storing and releasing the energy ensures that there is no need for a costly or bulky battery and the user does not waste their effort in constant turning to keep it playing.
The benefits of alternative supplies such as solar and wind, is that they are part of the world. You do not need to dig around for them, build incredibly complex equipment or facilities to turn them into something useable or worry about supplies running out. Potential locations for installation of alternative power generations is also greater and are slowly making their way into our homes with solar panels being fitted to many new build homes. The beauty of the U-Turn is that it can go virtually anywhere, indoors or out, speaker and power in one with zero emissions.
Self-powered devices made their way into the public eye with the Windup Radio in the mid 1990s. Though the windup radio employs a different method for storing and releasing the energy, the popularity of products such as this, as well as the popularity of our U-Turn Round shows there is certainly a market and technological interest. We currently supply U-Turns to many organisations including the National Trust where this no fuss, no power device can simply be fitted somewhere and left for visitors to use. Children also love it’s interactivity and involvement, breaking away from the button operated interface which has come to saturate our everyday lives and technology. Though perfectly suited for those who need or wish to use alternative power sources, our changing world and energy requirements may mean that devices like the U-Turn Round are the beginnings of something bigger and something we will all make use of once fossil fuels have gone extinct.
