This orb lets you charge your phone with body movements

A 19-year-old has invented a phone charger that fuels itself from energy generated by the human body.

Belarusian teenager Michael Vaga has developed a pocket electricity generator, which uses an in-built gyroscope to turn wrist rotations into energy that can power up your gadgets. Called HandEnergy, the portable device is held in the hand and swivelled to generate energy, which can be either used immediately or stored for later use.  

“With each rotation of your hand, the rotor speed increases significantly and generates more power. The average speed of the rotor is 5,000rpm,” Vaga told The Telegraph. “We translate the mechanical energy you put in into electrical energy and this means you can charge your device.”

Vaga ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for the HandEnergy, managing to raise €71,333 (£60,415) in funding for the clean energy charger. He’s now preparing to launch the device in March 2017.

Battery life is an enduring problem for a society woven around electronic devices, although Vaga is pitching his invention as an emergency back up rather than a replacement for standard plugs and power banks. The device has a 1,000mAh battery capacity, and it allegedly takes between 40 minutes and an hour to charge this by rotating – reduced by 30% is charging a phone at the same time. Your average smartphone has a battery size of just under 3,000mAh – so you’d be looking at a few hours of wrist spinning to get your phone to 100%.

Still, for those travelling away outdoors, or those who may not have a ready supply of energy sources, the HandEnergy looks to be a useful resource. A promo video for the device mentions how it could be used for those living in areas with limited access to an electrical grid – although the expected retail price of €99 (£84) will need to drop before it becomes a practical tool for refugees or those in developing areas of the world.

There’s also added benefit in the wrist exercise needed to power the charger, although it might take a while to get used to legions of thick-wristed commuters rotating strange orbs on the platform of London Bridge.