Batteries not included: Game Boy-inspired handheld runs on solar power
Saving the planet while playing games may soon be possible. A group of scientists have redesigned Nintendo’s Game Boy to run battery-free in a bid to inspire game developers and consumers to rethink the sustainability of gaming.
According to an article on CNET, Jasper De Winkel, a computer scientist at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and his team have developed a device called the Engage, a handheld video game console that “impersonates” the Nintendo Game Boy, but is powered solely by a combination of solar energy and player interaction.
Though not an officially licensed Nintendo product, the team was inspired by the look and feel of the iconic Game Boy, an 8-bit handheld game console that was released by Japanese gaming giant Nintendo in 1989. Combining features from the NES home system and Game and Watch hardware, it offered 15 hours of continuous gameplay powered by four AA batteries, which constantly had to be replaced.
Besides the absence of a battery slot, the Engage is meant to look like Nintendo's revolutionary handheld. Users can play classic 8-bit titles, from Tetris to Super Mario Land, without batteries or power cables.
The device uses a Game Boy emulator and is powered by the latest techniques in energy harvesting and intermittent-computing technology, an emerging field that allows low-power devices to run on energy harvested solely from the environment.
The Engage is designed to combat the inconvenience, impermanence and environmental impact of the world’s reliance on battery-powered devices.
“It harvests energy from five small rows of solar panels on its face and from button presses made by the user. In its present state, that's enough to power the Engage for around 10 seconds, depending on the game. Then, losing power, it switches off. A few quick button mashes restore gameplay in less than a second.”
The scientists stress that the gaming device is not for commercial use, but rather serves as a prototype and proof-of-concept that battery-free mobile gaming is possible through user interaction.
As the world grapples with issues like global warming, and the ecological impact of modern technology, the battery-free device aims to spark a revolution.
“The modern battery isn't just a burden for game consoles, either. All modern devices, from iPhones to smartwatches, are reliant on rechargeable batteries. We replace our phones every year or so, dumping old for new; our classic gaming consoles gather dust in attics and basements while their capacitors degrade and erode.”
Part of the mission of Engage is to “realize a world of long-lasting, potentially eternal devices.“
While the device still has limitations, including the inability to save gaves manually (though a checkpoint system to save progress has been developed) and the lack of sound which may detract from the overall gaming experience, the cutting edge device is a technological marvel that could help the video game industry rethink how they power their devices in the future.
Winkel and his team of computer scientists including Josiah Hester from Northwestern University in the US, Przemysław Pawełczak and Vito Kortbeek from TU Delft are set to unveil their battery-free Game Boy on September 12 during the virtual UbiComp, an annual conference run by the Association for Computing Machinery.
(Images via ACM SIGCHI on YouTube)
