A recent graduate of Central Saint Martins has created a portable charger that can be used to charge phones for free using rental bikes. The device, called MyPowerbank, is designed to be attached to the chain of any Santander bicycle in London. As the bike is pedaled, the charger generates electricity using a tiny pedal-powered generator. And around 25 minutes of pedalling is enough to fully charge a phone.

MyPowerbank was created by Luke Talbot, who was inspired by the fact that many homeless people own phones but struggle to find places to charge them. This can restrict their access to crucial digital services, such as banking, messaging, and applying for benefits.

MyPowerbank is still in the prototype stage, but Talbot became one of the winners at this year’s MullenLowe NOVA Awards. Now, he is planning to use the won prize money to help him make the design production-ready and cut down on the pedalling time needed per charge.

Talbot’s prototype features a 3D-printed shell, finished in the same navy blue as the Santander bikes’ frames so as not to draw undue attention. Instructions are printed in UV ink so they are legible at night.

The dynamo was built from scratch using a YouTube tutorial and the two batteries, which each hold up to four full charges, are reclaimed from old powerbanks.

Talbot is also considering what to do if the device breaks or is damaged. He says, “Hopefully there’ll be a circular repair system behind that so if it’s broken, they could give it back to the shelter and the shelter would send it back to whoever ends up running it.” Here’s Talbot talking about the MyPowerbank at the MullenLowe NOVA Awards.

Video source: MullenLowe NOVA Awards

MyPowerbank is a simple but effective solution that could help to improve the lives of homeless people by providing them with a reliable way to charge their phones.

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