Haier
While IFA 2012 may be thought of primarily as a venue for electronics manufacturers to unveil their latest products, it’s also a chance for them to showcase technologies that they’re still developing. An example of the latter is the prototype eye-controlled TV, created by Chinese electronics firm Haier. We had a chance to try it for ourselves, on the trade show floor in Berlin. Read More
Haier shows human-powered washing machine prototype
Chinese electronics giant Haier was showcasing its green credentials at IFA 2010 with this human powered washing machine. An exercise bike with a lithium-ion battery that collects energy as you pedal is hard wired to the front loading machine. When you pedal, you power the machine. Twenty minutes effort is said to give you one cold cycle wash without drawing power from the grid. It's an idea we've seen elsewhere in fledgling form – and its a good one. We'd love to see it get beyond prototype stage. Read More
The Haier PowerPad is a concept device shown at SinoCES which captures the energy contained within the water that runs off our bodies every morning in the shower, and returns said energy to the hot water tank. Haier claims the PowerPad is currently capturing and returning 15% of the energy coming out of the faucet and by the time it goes on sale six weeks from now, that figure will be 20-30%. Haier is one of the world’s most innovative companies and is hence foolish to bet against, but we’re struggling to understand the technologies being used and just how optimistic the claims are. Read More
