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Boukai and Tham’s solution also takes advantage of the Seebeck effect: the PowerWatch has a case back made of black aluminum, which is heated by one’s own body heat as it is worn. The “cold” side of the watch include the metal bezel and case body, which are separated from the case back by a layer of insulating thermoplastic.
Tired of your smartwatch dying? This one doesn’t need to be charged. Ever.
By and large, the worst part of any smartwatch is battery life. In many cases, you’re lucky if the watch will last until the evening. However, a company by the name of Matrix aims to solve that conundrum with the PowerWatch X.
Revealed this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it doesn’t run on battery power. Instead, it’s powered by body heat. PowerWatch X uses a thermoelectric generator (TEG) that converts your natural body heat into energy.
Watch Powered by Body Heat
PowerWatch released its first iteration in 2016. But it didn’t have notifications, thus would not have really qualified as a smart watch. The PowerWatch X adds this functionality and maintains the unique charging process.
The TEG rests on your wrist is an aluminum plate. Opposite your arm is a metal bezel and the rest of the housing of the watch, which remains cool. The flow of the heat between the two areas is captured by the TEG and converted into energy.
Everything from your activity level to the ambient temperature around you affects how quickly the PowerWatch X charges. It requires a temperature difference between your body and the ambient air to work well. Thus, the watch will not charge above 90 degrees F. However, this shouldn’t affect the function of the watch unless you are basically always in places above 90 degrees F.
That’s because it has a battery inside that is constantly being charged while worn. Matrix says the watch will continue to work for up to one year without charging. If the watch senses inactivity for 45 minutes, the screen will turn off to conserve power. It will turn back on when it detects motion again.
PowerWatch X: Features
Beyond the smarts that power it, the PowerWatch X is a respectable, rugged timepiece in its own right. It’s water-resistant up to 200 meters, and Matrix says the silicone wrist strap is “nearly indestructible.” A slightly less rugged version (water-resistant up to 50 meters) without notification capabilities, simply called the PowerWatch, released late last year.
It displays time and date, and can pair with smartphones for simple notifications. The watch operates as a basic fitness device, with sleep, step, and calorie counters. Stopwatch and step counter functions are also included.
PowerWatch X is set to ship later this month and retails for $279, but you can place your preorder now and save $30. Shipping inside the U.S. is free. Elsewhere, shipping is $30.
HomeNewsThe Matrix PowerWatch X Smartwatch Uses Your Body Heat to Get Charged
The main reason I preferred Pebble over any other smartwatch ever made was because I didn’t had to charge the device every day. I love the utility a smartwatch brings, but hate the fact that I have to charge it every night just like my smartphone. For that reason alone, I have never been able to enjoy smartwatches.
But Matrix’s new watch does things quite differently and it might just win me over. Matrix Technologieshave just announced a smartwatch that users don’t need to charge, ever.
Dubbed the PowerWatch X, the smartwatch uses a user’s body heat to charge the device, which was showcased the device at CES. Matrix first introduced its PowerWatch smartwatch at Indiegogo in November 2016. The PowerWatch was so popular that Matrix ended up raising more than 10 times the goal it set for itself.
Now, the company has come with its new model, the PowerWatch X which is stronger, more durable, and jam-packed with features. Apart from serving all the usual functions like providing notifications and showing date and time, the watch can deliver a precise measurement of calories burned, feature advanced activity, and sleep.
But the biggest feature of PowerWatch X is that the device can charge itself by using body’s heat. It does that by using groundbreaking thermoelectric technology which utilizes the heat generated from your body to charge the device thereby eliminating the need for daily charging. The watch even tells a user how much power he/she is able to supply to the watch, which is a cool statistic to check.
That said, the PowerWatch X is still in development and the prototype devices that the company showcased at CES was not functioning properly. The PowerWatch X is available for pre-order at $249.99 and is expected to ship sometime in Q1 2018.