There’s a Market for Almost Anything
Here’s a micro-hydrokinetic device, sold to campers who wish to charge their cell phones. Problem: it’s heavier, more cumbersome to set up, far more expensive than the equivalent piece of solar PV or a hand crank, and requires running water as its energy source. Thus, its target market is limited to:
a) Explorers of deep caves or the extreme latitudes in winter, or
b) Idiots who can’t figure this out
There can’t be more than a dozen or so of group a) in any given year. And there are additional issues, in that there is no cell service in deep caves, regardless of the state of charge of your phone, and the streams of the extreme north and south are frozen over in winter.
How many of group b) are there? That’s where it gets interesting.
Craig,
You are quite right, although it seems a harmless little devise, if pretty useless. I’m sure there are many such devices which are little more than toys, but interesting little examples of technology.
A bit like model railways and other interesting model technologies, these little devices amuse and entertain with a little bit of practical use thrown in.
I’ve seen one of these in action being used in a mountain stream to charge various small electrical items, not really useful, but then nor are most of the accoutrements attached to leisure activities.
I’m sure most people have kitchen cupboards full of items that once seemed such good ideas, and make wonderful gifts !(Which I suspect would be a big part of the sales for this item).