Orange to test kinetic phone charger at Glasto

In what sounds like a very late April Fool, telecoms firm Orange has announced it's testing a dance-powered mobile phone charger at this year's Glastonbury Festival.

This joins the likes of the electricity-generating dancefloor at Club4Climate, opening in July 2008, and Orange's plan to have a wind- and solar-powered tent, the 'ReCharge Pod', at Glasto this year. The prototype Dance Charger works by harnessing the kinetic energy generated when someone is dancing. Makes sense Orange is testing it at a festival, then. 

The Dance Charge is about the same size as a pack of cards and is attached to a reveller's arm with an elasticated Velcro strap (pictured) -- similar to an iPod arm strap. The wearer then waves their arms in the air like they just don't care, and when they finally get back to their tent they have a full battery ready to charge their mobile. It's that simple.

The energy is produced in the same way as kinetic watches work -- movement affects a series of weights and magnets that produce an electric charge which is then stored in a battery.

All of this sounds a good idea, but the best part is how the charger's being tested: Orange is employing a Dance Charging Man to show off the technology at Glastonbury between 27 and 29 June 2008. If you want your phone charged, you can hand it over to him and watch your battery bar fill up. All that's required of you is to have a dance with him.

If you're looking for other less energetic ways to charge your mobile, check out our solar charger roundup here.

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