Radio mics use them, transmitters drain them, LED panels eat them. Despite built-in batteries becoming more common it’s still not unusual to have fistfuls of AA batteries lying around. And while rechargeables are clearly better for the environment and more economical than disposables, once you’ve got more than half a dozen it can be a bit of a pain keeping track of which ones are charged and which ones aren’t.
Enter Seculine, who have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo with a deceptively simple idea for a battery charger. You stack used batteries in the top, and take freshly charged ones out of the bottom. In between, the charger shuffles four batteries into position at a time and charges them automatically.
Seculine say the Eneroid will work with any brand and capacity of NiMh AA battery, and that you can just add batteries to the pile without worrying about polarity (which way they’re facing). Charging time is said to be around an hour for four AAs.
There are a number of different tiers available to potential funders, including a Deluxe model with a built-in clock and several USB ports for charging other gadgets (sadly no mention of a tea-making accessory). Seculine are aiming to start shipping early next year and will be at CES in Las Vegas (booth 82219, Sands G) showing the product next January.
Overall the Eneroid looks like it could be a useful gadget that will mean you’ll have one less thing to worry about (separating flat AAs from charged ones) in between jobs.
If you’re thinking of backing the campaign it’s worth bearing in mind that the company’s $50k US is a ‘flexible goal’ which means they’ll get the money whether they hit their target or not; and of course it’s possible that even the best laid plans can be derailed by delays in the tooling and manufacturing process. We’ll be watching with interest to see how the Eneroid shapes up…
