Corky Apple Mouse

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Portable wireless mice have a problem: most of them rely upon disposable batteries, which often wind up in landfills as e-waste. Adele Peters’ Corky mouse aims to change all that — it’s a kinetic energy-harvesting mouse that is powered with a flick of the wrist. One of 18 finalists in this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition, it’s also made from 100% recycled plastic components and recycled and biodegradable cork.

Read more for more details and images.


The Corky mouse uses piezoelectric elements to generate energy every time you click or move it around on your desk – even rolling the scroll wheel will generate a few watts. We’ve seen many watches that harvest kinetic energy, so the technology is definitely available, and it makes a lot of sense in this application. Since computer mice function through movement, why not harness that expended energy?

Adele is also considering the device’s sustainability from a systems-based approach – something we love to see in industrial design. Plans are included for regional sourcing and assembly, product take-back and recycling, and disassembly data will be easily accessible for recycling centers. That last point is important, because a big issue with electronics recycling is that disassembly information is often considered proprietary and not disclosed, which makes the process of dismantling and recycling a device difficult if not impossible.

If you’re a fan of Corky, be sure to vote on it in this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition!


source[inhabitat & Corky]