Charge Your Phone as You Walk With Ampy

Our weekly look into the world of crowdfunding has us scouring websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to try and find the best new products you can fund. That's because we believe that some of the most interesting new devices today come not from the big companies but through these new channels. That was the case with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, and also with the Pebble smartwatch. And aside from these big game changers, sometimes you come across projects that are just fun.

That's where the Ampy comes in. This wearable device is a small lithium-ion battery that can be charged through movement, and it can in turn be used to charge your phone.

That's not to say that the Ampy is going to take your phone off the power-grid - charging it up takes a lot of time and effort, with the healthy person's daily quota of 10,000 steps apparently adding around 3 hours to your smartphone's battery, according to the creators. 3 hours of battery life isn't going to see you through the day, and the number of steps for most people is much lower than 10,000, so your mileage will definitely vary in this case.

Of course Ampy can also be quickly topped up using a standard Micro-USB port, so you needn't signup for a marathon just to keep it charged. In this way, you won't run out of power when you really need it, but the extra charge that you keep generating through the day will reduce the amount of time spent charging.

Aside from the Ampy, you can also get an armband and a clip so you can attach it to your clothes, or strap it around your hand or ankle, to charge the battery throughout the day. Ampy can be detached and connected it to your phone whenever you need to. An added advantage is that since the Ampy is attached to you, it probably won't get forgotten in a bag without any charge, unlike the powerbanks we normally use.

This video explains the concept in more detail:

The Ampy has already met its $100,000 goal, and you can pre-order one now for $85. The full kit with the armband and clip can be ordered now for $105. Shipping is a $15 extra outside the US, and the plan is to start shipping units by June 2015.