A musical instrument which converts sound into electricity is using music technology for a social good.
Spark is a percussion shaker which uses music to generate electricity, which is then used to power a phone charger or a lamp.
The brainchild of musician Sudha Kheterpal, percussionist with the UK electro band Faithless, the instrument has been designed to improve the lives of communities in Kenya, where around 75 percent of citizens live without electricity.
Spark features beads encased in its outer shell, which provide a rhythmic sound when shaken.
The motion means that an interior magnet moves through a copper coil component, creating a current which charges up a battery.
Twelve minutes of shaking the instrument results in one hour of storable electric power.
A USB port on the side of the instrument allows the user to connect either a USB lamp or phone charger, harnessing the electricity generated.
Kheterpal hopes the design, which is being launched with a campaign called "#ShakeYourPower," will be a safer alternative than kerosene lamps and provide an energy-efficient means of light for everything from walking home in the dark to completing homework.
The project is currently listed on crowdfunding website Kickstarter, and Kheterpal aims to distribute the instruments to 1,000 rural Kenyan homes.
Spark is a percussion shaker which uses music to generate electricity, which is then used to power a phone charger or a lamp.
The brainchild of musician Sudha Kheterpal, percussionist with the UK electro band Faithless, the instrument has been designed to improve the lives of communities in Kenya, where around 75 percent of citizens live without electricity.
Spark features beads encased in its outer shell, which provide a rhythmic sound when shaken.
The motion means that an interior magnet moves through a copper coil component, creating a current which charges up a battery.
Twelve minutes of shaking the instrument results in one hour of storable electric power.
A USB port on the side of the instrument allows the user to connect either a USB lamp or phone charger, harnessing the electricity generated.
Kheterpal hopes the design, which is being launched with a campaign called "#ShakeYourPower," will be a safer alternative than kerosene lamps and provide an energy-efficient means of light for everything from walking home in the dark to completing homework.
The project is currently listed on crowdfunding website Kickstarter, and Kheterpal aims to distribute the instruments to 1,000 rural Kenyan homes.