The kinetic energy-generating Soccket soccer ball produces power from play - and it's set to bring energy to off-grid locations around the world! After a year of building prototypes and conducting pilot programs, Uncharted Play just launched the energy-harnessing soccer ball with a fresh new design and a Kickstarter campaign. Developed by a group of Harvard alumni, the Soccket ball can generate three hours of electrical power from just 30 minutes of soccer play, and it offers an eco-friendly alternative to unsafe and unreliable energy sources often used in poor communities around the world.
Designed and assembled in the U.S., Soccket uses Uncharted Play’s patent-pending mechanism that captures and stores the kinetic power generated through kicking the ball. The small pendulum inside the ball harnesses energy of the movement by turning a generator connected to a rechargeable battery. It is an off-grid power source made from specially designed water-resistant EVA foam that is both soft and deflation-proof. The energy captured in only 30 minutes of playing soccer can be used to power a small LED lamp for three hours.
The Soccket was piloted in various low-income areas of North America and South America, bringing energy to those who need it the most. So far the production has been limited to a few hundred Sokkect balls per week, but the team recently launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to scale-up and purchase necessary equipment for the manufacturing processes and will be accepting pledges until 28 March.