In many developing nations, electricity isn’t a guarantee, it’s a privilege. With this in mind, Uncharted Play, a New York-based startup, created the PULSE jump rope, a seemingly simple toy with a big mission: to bring renewable, affordable power to places where electricity is scarce. The PULSE jump rope is made of durable plastic with 3D-printed handles. With each skip of the rope, the device converts the kinetic energy from play into electricity and stores it in the handles for future use. Users can then connect and juice up cell phones, lights or other small gadgets. While the PULSE is currently in beta, with only 100 samples available from the company for $129 each, the company hopes to produce the jump rope at a more affordable price, in order for it to reach the communities it was designed to help.
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