Tradition Meets Innovation: High-Tech Cuckoo Clock for Shanghai
The Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) of the University of Freiburg is contributing an interactive energy harvesting exhibit to the university’s stand at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai: a cuckoo clock with an unusual power source built at the chair for the „Construction of Microsystems.“ The clock is being shipped to Shanghai today by airplane. The department’s object for the Expo 2010 in Shanghai unites modern technology and Black Forest tradition in the form of a cuckoo clock powered exclusively by touch, i.e. by body heat. Micro Energy Harvesting is an innovative concept 20 scholarship recipients are currently performing research on in a research training group of the same name at IMTEK. It is possible to „harvest“ various forms of energy: heat, light, movement, or chemical energy. The cuckoo clock has a built-in thermogenerator which absorbs body heat and transforms it into electrical energy, which is then used to power the cuckoo mechanism. Micro Energy Harvesting is thus an example of a new strategy for harnessing energy from the environment in the distributed systems of the future without cables and batteries. The City of Freiburg is participating in the Expo with a stand on the theme „Freiburg Green City.“ The University of Freiburg is presenting its history and modern research in one of five walk-through cubes at the stand. The clock will be in continuous operation here from 1 May to 31 October – a real test for the durability of its construction and electronics. The invitation to construct an exhibit on the topic of renewable energy came from Freiburg’s tourism and marketing agency FWTM, which is organizing and running the city’s stand at the Expo. Cuckoo clocks serve as the main design element of Freiburg’s 273 square meter stand. The idea of constructing a cuckoo clock powered by body heat for the stand as an example of energy harvesting came from the Chair for the Construction of Microsystems, led by Prof. Dr. Peter Woias. The project was realized by Benjamin Fuchs, a bachelor student in microsystems engineering, and Franz Richardt, an engineer employed at the chair. The University of Freiburg will also present the topic in a seminar for its Chinese alumni in Shanghai from 20 to 23 May 2010. Numerous former students of the university have signed up for the seminar. Rector Prof. Dr. Hans-Jochen Schiewer will be attending the opening of the Freiburg stand at the Expo and will also participate in the alumni seminar. Contact: University of Freiburg Faculty of Engineering Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK Prof. Dr. Peter Woias Phone: +49 761 203-7490 Email: woais@imtek.uni-freiburg.de PR/Marketing Coordinator Natascha Thoma-Widmann Phone: +49 761 203-8056 Email: thoma-widmann@tf.uni-freiburg.de www.tf.uni-freiburg.de
Countries
Germany