Much more than a normal soccer ball, the SOCCKET is a portable generator that provides fun and power to those who play with it.

Soccket was developed by Uncharted Play, a company founded by four Harvard University students. The idea for the power-generating football was originally conceived for an engineering course assignment in school. The concept involves inserting an inductive coil mechanism into a football which transforms it into an eco-friendly portable generator. It then captures energy as you play with it, literally harnessing the body’s kinetic energy. This could be a game changer for rural communities in developing nations.

All around the world, innovators are pioneering power solutions such as simple solar panels, soular backpacks, and other pretty innovative devices to bring cheap and clean energy to developing nations. Early this year, Salima Visram made headlines for her Soular Backpack’, which allowed kids in rural areas leverage the power of the sun on their long walks to and from school daily. Could Soccket help the developing world score more electricity?

A kid reads with Soccket Credit - greenfiltr
A kid reads with Soccket
Credit – greenfiltr

The ball requires as little as 30 minutes of play time to generate three hours of energy on an LED light. Kids in rural communities can play a game of soccer during their lunch break during or after school periods, take the ball home and connect it to a basic lamp at night. Besides lighting up the entire home, it also provides sufficient light for assignments too.

Most rural households in developing nations use kerosene lamps, to power their homes, forcing school children to rely on the toxic and expensive fuel for night-time studies. This can lead to serious health problems as statistics from the World Bank indicates that 4,000 deaths occur daily as a result of kerosene-induced illnesses. But with Soccket, the oil-based fuel would be history.

School children play Soccket Credit - Discover Magazine
School children play Soccket
Credit – Discover Magazine

The underlying philosophy of Uncharted Play is to foster and preserve creativity, hence another benefit of the energy harnessing ball is that it sparks and expands the imagination of kids. By transforming a familiar object like the football, kids are bound to wonder how electricity is being generated from a common play toy, and this could inspire them to explore other objects for innovative purposes. The company also provide STEM programs to children where Socckets are delivered.

With Soccket, the day doesn’t end when the sun goes down.

For more information, watch the video below:

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