Mobile phones could soon be charged by simply speaking into the handset.

For mobile phone users, a flat battery or a lost charger is among the frustrations of modern life.  New research promises a way to recharge phones using nothing but the power of the human voice.

Electrical engineers have developed a new technique for turning sound waves into electricity, allowing a mobile to be powered up while its user holds a conversation. The technology would also be able to harness background noise and even music to charge a phone whilst it is not in use.

In this day of ‘renewable energy’ scientists are continually exploring a number of approaches for scavenging energy from the environment. Noise that exists in our everyday life has been regularly overlooked as a source. Sound energy from speech, music or noise could be turned into electrical power.

‘Sound power’ could be used for a variety of applications. A television or radio could generate enough electricity to power itself by the sound that was being transmitted from it. An MP3 player could be powered by the owners’ heartbeat. Sound absorbing walls near motorways could generate electricity from the noise of passing vehicles. This would also have the additional benefit of reducing noise levels near residential areas by absorbing the noise created by traffic.

The possibilities are endless…. Sound Power = Sound Energy = an end to electricity bills!