A while back, I was reading about the $100 laptop project. One of the ideas they had for it was a pedal that could act like a power source for it. I think they eventually went with a hand crank, but I really like the idea of having a little sewing-machine style pedal for my laptop so I don’t always have to have it plugged in at, say, the coffee shop. It seems more and more feasable, too, what with laptops getting smaller. Does anyone know if there are any products like this out there?
Also, is the $100 laptop project still moving? I got the impression that it was mostly for the developing world, but that there were comparable programs in the US, especially for underprivileged youth. I’m hoping that they don’t disappear with times getting hard, meself.
Are you talking about the One Laptop Per Child Foundation’s XO-1 Laptop? It started out aiming for $100, I think, but it currently sells for $200. In the USA, you can buy a package for $400 – one for yourself and one for a child in the developing world. It’s supposed to have a bunch of power peripherals that can power it, but none of 'em are currently sold by the company.
The foot pedal, however, IS available. It’s the Freeplay Weza, made by the same guys who make those wind-up flashlights and radios, and it can power anything that can be fed by a 12V DC adapter up to maybe 40 watts.
I have often thought a small foot-powered generator would be a great thing to have in many situations. It would be very useful on a boat to recherge a dead battery and/or to aid in charging. My idea would be more like rotary pedals and on a boat it would be best to attach them to a bulkhead and operate them lying down on a bunk. At home you could have a modified stationary bike. I think this mechanism would produce more power than a treadle but if you do not need much power then a treadle might be more comfortable and could be used while working on the computer.