Solutions for Industrial Computing

What the hell is an "Energy Harvesting Device"?

So, after our next hurricane wipes out our utilities and it is 9:30PM, what's supposed to power my flashlight, a solar cell? Or will we just be resorting to candles, which harvest energy from paraffin?

I can think of so many items I use daily that require energy to be stored so that it may be used at a time and place where energy can not be tapped in situ. I guess I could take my cordless drill outside and erect a large solar cell to power it.

Many devices require impulse power where the energy density is very high for a short duration, which is where energy storage is best used.

My take is that energy harvesting technology (whatever that really means) will have its place, but their will always be a need to store energy.

Why rant about things you're not familiar with? Is that a recorder you are holding in your hand?

You're correct with the exception that the topic refers to electronics instead of you're references to electrical devices.

Electronic and electrical devices are pretty much married together these days. Even the examples I cited like electric drills use electronics for motor control. Batteries are getting electronics, too.

Objects that are purely electronic and use micro and even picoamps for current draw would be a good exception, but just looking around my house there isn't too many things that would fit into that category. Phones do not, because they require a lot of energy for RF transmission. My cordless mouse would be a candidate, maybe my calculator and they have been doing that with wrist watches.

What examples come to your mind that can take advantage of that kind of technology?

Control circuitry

Control circuits for what?

Do you mean something like a thermostat? Motor control? Both examples need high current anyway, so no savings there. Other examples?

Okay let's winnow it back to the meager power required to activate or switch electronic devices

Okay. How about some specific examples?

Nothing, please, that switches something that uses a lot of power. What commercial products around us that we use at home, work, or play that would benefit from this technology?

energy-harvesting technology.... is that why they call a bunch of wind turbines a "farm"? Because they are harvesting it?

Check out "Electric eel powered car?" here on CR4.

The eels are way ahead of us on this one.