31 pointsby giuliomagnificoa month ago2 comments
  • MarkusQa month ago
    The innovation here isn't the generation of ridiculously small micro-currents from raindrops (we've seen that before) but the use of expensive carbon fiber materials (that don't rust) to do it.
  • giuliomagnificoa month ago
    > In experiments, a single 92-microliter raindrop generated up to 60 volts and several microamperes of current. When four generators were connected in series, 144 LED bulbs lit up instantaneously.
    • MarkusQa month ago
      "Instantaneously" in this instance meaning "for a fraction of a second" -- specifically, the time between the drop hitting and it bouncing/reforming into a bead. Probably (back of the envelope) for on the order of 0.1 seconds.