Can a soccer ball change the way we think about electricity in rural areas?

 

It’s no ordinary soccer ball. This one, called the Soccket, generates electricity as you play with it. Soccket is the invention of Uncharted Play, a nine-person for profit social enterprise in New York City, which aims to bring electricity into rural communities like those found in sub-Saharan Africa. To charge, you simply play with the soccer ball while a pendulum generates charge inside the ball. You can then attach various devices and accessories, say a cell phone charger or LED lamp.

 

According to the Soccket’s Kickstarter page, thirty minutes of play will net you three hours of light at 6 watts of power – enough for late night homework or to top off a cell phone.

 

The Obama Administration is showcasing the Soccket as illustrative of the innovations in off-grid energy technologies that are possible, which have the potential to transform rural Africa through direct access to electricity in addition to the economic stimulus resulting from developing and launching successful products.

 

While there is still a need for centralized power generation in Africa, these entrepreneurs will literally be putting power in the hands of Africans.