Sole Mio Solar Powered Mice

The mouse, as in the PC peripheral, is being developed by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. The weird part, it has been in development for four years.

Four years for a solar powered mouse? I guess it is one of the few things in the tech industry that is not changing in a drastic manor any time soon, which would allow for the long development time. But four years spent on a solar powered mouse to maybe save on batteries?

The mouse uses 20mA while in use, and has storage capacity for up to 300mAh, and can charge up to 250mA while out in broad daylight. I don't know exactly how this device works, but my watch can charge by sunlight, and it is made so that fluorescent lighting can charge it to, but it takes 3 times as long, that could be useful for this product too. Supposedly the release of this mouse has the potential to save multiple hundreds of millions of batteries per year globally.

Solar Powered Wireless Mouse [via ohgizmo]