Concept Chair Charges Your Gadgets From Your Movements

What’s your typical trip to the airport like? Arrive two hours early to make it through the security lines only to find that the security lines don’t exist. Grab breakfast/lunch/dinner/coffee/beer and read a paper/magazine/book before strolling to your terminal. Arrive at your terminal exactly 1 hour and 24 minutes until take off. Find a seat with a view of a gal with great legs, and sit–for the longest hour + of your life.

After sitting for 20 minutes or so, your left cheek goes numb. Shift weight over to your right cheek only to give yourself a wedgie. Get up and subtly shake the wedgie out. Tap your fingers. Shake your leg violently. Look at your watch. Pretend to set your watch while you stare at those never-ending legs from heaven. Look at your watch again, this time for real–why is it not changing dammit!! Peruse the airport to find the most expendable individual who you can duck behind should a hostage situation arise. Only 48 minutes to go.

If only you were sitting on the Empower rocking chair, all that twitching would get put to use. Designed by Ryan Klinger, the Empower converts your energy into electricity through a generator attached to the hinges. The electricity is stored in a lithium ion battery underneath the seat and can then be used to power up the small electronics that are also an integral part of any trip to the airport.

To give it that extra edge in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition where it’s currently a contestant, the chair is made out of all recyclable materials. Nice! [Inhabitat via Dvice]