Charge Your Cellphone Using Wasted Heat (and Build a Steampunk Wall-E)

Step 4 Build It

Here's an animation of how easy it was to prototype a simple 5V regulator with a USB port at the output, allowing you to charge an iPhone, iPod or anything else that has similar power requirements.

This would not work with a single seebeck unit because this kind of regulator needs more than 5Vs and is very inefficient. Two seebeck units connected in series would be enough to satisfy its input voltage.

A lot of people also seem to have an issue with trying to fool an iPod touch to think it is connected to a computer. We built a break out board and tied D- to 5V directly and D+ with a 10K to GND. It worked on our's, the iPod's USB state machine is fooled and we have been charging it this way for a while.

Here are some other iPod chargers people have made.

We are working on a boost circuit that will allow you to charge an iPod with just one seebeck unit, but it won't be ready before this contest is over.