A South Korean company called Ohsung Electronics has just announced an interesting new remote control for Google TV devices that doesn’t require batteries – instead, it’s powered by the artificial lights in your living room.
Ohsung said its new remote is what’s known as a “reference device”, which means it’s not actually on sale yet, and probably never will be. However, reference designs such as this often inspire the development of new products that carry many of their features, so there’s a good chance another company could make something similar.
A Swedish company called Epishine made the solar cell that powers the reference remote design. It claims that the remote control will “never run out of power” so long as the living room lights are switched on each day.
Ohsung has strategically placed the solar cells on both sides of the remote control. It said this enables it to capture whatever light is available in its environment, so it will still be recharging itself even when it’s placed down flat on its keypad. There’s no battery in the remote – instead, it just immediately converts the energy from the living room lights into power it can use.
It’s an interesting concept, because most remote controls today – including those supplied with the Google TV Streamer and older Chromecast dongles – need batteries, and they do need to be replaced from time to time. By having a remote that always works, it’ll reduce the need to open up the remote, take out the dying batteries and bite into them to leave a dent so as to squeeze a little more juice out of them. That does actually work, by the way, but we don’t recommend it because there’s always a risk of someone biting too hard and having battery acid leak into their mouth.
The other option is to go hunting through cupboards and drawers looking for any spare batteries that might be lying around, because after all, who wants to have to dash outside to their local convenience store once they’ve already settled in for a Netflix binge?
By the way, we should point out that it is possible to control a Google TV device using a smartphone if you download the Google TV application for Android or iOS, so that may negate the need for a remote that never runs out of power.
Still, lots of people do prefer using a proper remote over an app, and many kids lack smartphones to control the TV themselves, so there should be a market for such a device. It’s also more eco-friendly, thanks to the lack of any batteries that need to be disposed of. According to Epishine, such remotes can also be lighter and cheaper than traditional ones, too.
