Body Heat-Powered Watch Now Has Crowdfunding Campaign

A team that created a watch that is powered by the body’s heat instead of relying on disposable or rechargeable batteries has turned to crowdfunding via Indiegogo to make their gadget a reality. Called the Matrix PowerWatch, it basically takes the concept of the Matrix franchise involving the use of humans as organic batteries by their machine overlords. From macabre origins, a beautiful product is born.

As TechXplore notes, disposable batteries are currently doing unspeakable harm to the environment, thus putting the unhealthy consumer lifestyle that the world is currently living in perspective. This is the kind of damage that Matrix Industries is trying to address with their PowerWatch, which is meant to eliminate the need for batteries in at least one consumer product in the market.

Akram Boukai is the CEO of the company and he has a Ph.D. from Caltech. He and his team recently released a video which explains the technology behind the watch and the intent behind its creation.

“Over 15 billion batteries are thrown away in landfills every year,” Boukai says in the video. “At Matrix, we wanted to create a technology that makes the way we use energy more efficient and more intimate.”

This is exactly what the company was able to achieve with their wristwear offering in starkly accurate detail. It does this by using temperature gradients in order to produce an electrical current from body heat and then transform that current into usable energy, CNET reports.

The processor onboard the watch is a low-power unit, which allows it to function without requiring high wattage. Right now, the watch looks a bit chunky, but the company promises to make the final product sleeker and more streamlined.

As for its features, since the PowerWatch is a fitness tracker, it will basically be able to do what other activity watches can offer. It tracks steps, calories burned, hours of sleep, and is waterproof for up to 50 meters.