Always Be Charging — 2017
UXThe problem
Charging batteries is a reality of every day life. People constantly stress about having enough power to get through the day.
Long-range wireless charging seems to be a while off technologically. Battery capacity increases seem to be slowing down.
The solution
An intermediate solution is to use existing technology to constantly charge your devices.
Charging is a conscious process.
In order to charge a device we must maintain an active interaction with the power supply, whether this is a wire, a battery pack, or a wireless charging pad.
Battery phone cases attempt to solve this problem, but only go part of the way, because you still have to charge the case. This defeats the point as you have essentially just created a larger bulkier battery.
Charging as a passive process. Charge without thinking about it.
Through adding a third step, we can simplify the user interaction.
Instead of going from A supply︎B device, we can charge A supply︎B passthrough battery︎C device.
A︎B︎C
A charging pad︎B backpack battery︎C laptop.
From A charging chair︎B pocket battery︎C phone.
The passthrough battery charges the device when not connected to a supply.
Functional prototype
Using an assemblage of existing components, chair charges battery charges phone.
