Ten Awesome Products using Lithium-Ion Batteries April 08 2015, 3 Comments

#10. Makita 36V Li-ion Chain Saw

For about $500 you can have this electric chainsaw. There is not much to talk about here. If you have ever cranked a gas chain saw, dripped gas on your hands, replaced a spark plug, or tripped on the cord you know what I’m talking about. Every top ten list needs a chain saw anyway.

[Side note about the battery: High-drain 18650 batteries soldered in a series are put into the pack which powers the saw, and since its rated at 36V we can deduce 9 batteries each of 4V contained inside. Rated at 2.2Ah, I can start to guess which 18650 battery is used. The highest-drain 18650 at 2200mAh is the LG ICR18650MF (2200mAh, 20A) so it very well could be this cell (but impossible to know for sure without taking it apart).]

#9. Honda’s Miimo Robotic Lawn Mower

Another key product to go electric is the lawn mower. Miimo is definitely a product which needs to go green. There is not a single human which enjoys mixing fuel and pouring it in their lawn mower. Nobody likes the noise pollution either. If you don’t know what a Roomba is, you should check it out, because this electric lawn mower is doing exactly what the Roomba did for vacuum cleaning. Its a self-navigating drone which operates inside an invisible barrier - and docks to a lithium-ion docking station by itself when it needs a recharge. This is a new class of helper robots that are electric and operate completely autonomously.

#8. SuperHeadz CLAP USB Mini Camera

This fun little camera is powered by a small coin lithium-ion battery and brought to us from a Tokyo based company. It has a built-in USB plug to make digital transfers easy. The photos are 1280 x 1024 and two million pixels which is not too shabby. A 16GB MicroSD card holds the photos until you transfer them. Whether it’s just a collectors item or people will find interesting use for such a device is not yet known.

#7. Bladefish 5000 Sea Scooter

Underwater scooters are otherwise known as underwater propulsion jets. The price is acceptable and their runtime is good from its 18V lithium-ion batteries. The Bladefish can go down to 130 feet on a charge that lasts between 70 and 120 minutes. Sea scooters generally cost about $500. The down-side is they don’t go very fast, especially in strong currents. But this will change as battery technology improves.

#6. Unknown motorcycle design from India

I can’t find more information on this electric bike, but it sure is nice looking.

#5. Solar Window Charger

Yes, it’s a solar window charger that can charge your gadgets in a few hours. Perfect if you work next to a window or if you are somewhere without electricity. It features suction cups to stick to glass, and dual USB outlets.

#4. Off-road Electric Wheelchair

Der Ziesal is a 22mph electric wheelchair powered by a 6kWh li-ion battery. It really is a first-class piece of machinery enabling disabled persons the freedom to enjoy life how they want to. This is an exciting prospect - that improving batteries will directly improve the quality of life for those who depend on them for everyday tasks. This wheelchair has a 4-point safety belt, suspension, delta tracks, and a joystick controller.

#3. Biolite Camping Stove

This is a great electric camping stove because you can burn things to charge your devices. Throw in sticks, wood, pinecones or whatever is in your natural environment and you can cook and charge at the same time. Using a fan to oxygenate the fire, and a fuel-injector they have made an ultra-efficient flame. Heat is then converted into energy and stored in a lithium ion battery. It weights less than 1kg, is small, and costs about $150.

#2 Compact Eco concept - Ver 2

The designer Yuji Fujimura created this concept bike which highlights environmental friendliness. It’s thin because this saves space when stacked side-by-side. It runs on a lithium-ion battery and it can double as a storage device, charging your electronics with a special compartment.

#1. KANZ Field Power Desk