Researchers Create Unique Game Console Powered By The Sun

Image Credit: Northwestern University

JAKARTA - The research team at Northwestern University and Delft University of Technology developed a unique game console that can be played at any time. It can even last up to 10-15 hours, without fear of running out of battery.

Dubbed the Engage Game Boy, this game console uses five sets of solar panels to collect power from the sun's rays. This method is done so that the game console can be played without the hassle of charging the battery.

"We need a radical and crazy approach. One of the radical things we can do is to completely rethink how we build this device by removing the battery," said one of Engage's creators, Josiah Hester, as quoted by Engadget, Tuesday, September 8.

At first glance the appearance of this game console is similar to Nintendo's classic Game Boy appearance. Even this game console allows users to insert game cartridges into the available slots on the back.

Although it looks attractive because it can be played at any time, this device has a number of drawbacks. The screen size is very small and uses a monochrome LCD panel. In addition, this game console also does not produce game sounds.

According to the researchers, the Engage Game Boy's endurance will vary depending on the type of game being played. For example, when the user plays Tetris, the Engage Game Boy can last a little longer than the Super Mario Land game.

Even so, the research team does not intend to sell Engage Game Boy to the market. They still want to explore various possibilities to present an environmentally friendly game console.

"This could not have happened even four or five years ago," said Hester.

Not only does it take advantage of sunlight as its power source, this console also makes it possible to use modern batteries such as lithium or other soil minerals.

The plan, Engage Game Boy will be introduced online on 15 September at the UbiComp conference. After that, the design of modules and software such as game console firmware can be accessed by the public in open source on the GitHub site.