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This Google TV remote uses your light bulbs to recharge

Pictured: Justin Diaz
By Justin Diaz
January 12, 2023
Featured image for This Google TV remote uses your light bulbs to recharge

Just imagine if your Google TV remote was self-charging. It wouldn’t have a battery, and it uses a readily available power source to keep it juiced up so you can continue channel surfing content. That’s not as far-fetched as you might think. In fact, it’s a real product that was just announced and launched by TW Electronics (developed with Exeger) as part of CES 2023.

The new Google TV remote, the company says, is battery-free and is self-charging using the indoor light of your home. In other words, this Google TV remote can stay charged using the light bulbs you have turned on around the house. It’s basically indoor solar power. And it means there’s one less thing you have to buy replacement batteries for or plug in. Batteries are still very much a necessity for many devices. However, solutions like this one from TW Electronics pave the way for a more pleasing consumer experience.

No one likes having to buy and replace batteries in their stuff. No one likes having to plug things in to recharge. How simple it could all be if your stuff just recharged wirelessly and continuously on its own. Provided it had a place to draw the power from.

The self-charging Google TV remote uses a photovoltaic panel to draw power

Speaking of drawing power, you might be wondering how the remote manages to do so. It actually uses what’s called a photovoltaic panel to absorb indoor light and convert that energy into electricity that can recharge the remote. This is the same process that happens with solar panels that people use to power their homes and other devices. The only difference here is that it’s not solar energy from the sun that’s used for the conversion to electricity.

But the process ends with the same results. Also worth noting is that similar devices already exist or are in the works. Samsung has a remote that can self-charges both using radio waves from your router and from solar energy. Still, it’s exciting to see more platforms adopt the idea. Slowly making batteries a thing of the past where they’re no longer needed.