Nutmeg Radio

A few months ago, we brought you news about sOccket, a soccer ball that doubles as a portable, energy-storing power source. Since then, the sOccket team has pushed forward, officially introducing the ball to the world at the World Cup in South Africa. Already, sOccket seems to have more promise than its distant relative, Jabulani.

Jessica Lin, one of sOccket’s Co-Founders, believes that sOccket has a role to play in energy problems that have plagued the developing world for decades. Lin says, “sOccket may not be a solution to the energy crisis, but it is a new way of thinking about problems many people face on a day to day basis … and it enables empowerment for children literally to power their own lives.”

The original prototype was capable of storing enough energy to illuminate a small LED light for three hours. The new version that was manufactured by Cape Town-based design company, Dot Dot Dot Ex Why Zed, now yields three hours of portable energy from less than ten minutes of play.

So how does sOccket actually work? The ball has an internal inductive coil. Movement of the ball while playing forces a magnet through the coil that produces voltage to generate electricity. You can then simply take the ball home or to work and plug in a lamp to do work that you might otherwise struggle to do without a reliable light source. It’s pretty simple, just like most brilliant ideas.

According to Lin, “There is a huge need for cheap, clean, simple, off-grid energy solutions that are available for immediate use.”

And she’s absolutely correct. The reach of soccer is undeniable. The same can be said for the need for global energy solutions. Using the world’s game to extend beyond sport for the sake of sport and into solutions to address social challenges is the next stage in soccer’s development, taking it from a game that only addresses our entertainment needs to a game that also addresses our social needs.

With sOccket, soccer is no longer simply a means of exercise or an avenue to the professional game. sOccket broadens soccer’s reach to allow people to further education or even increase business productivity.

I’m sure you can think of additional applications for sOccket’s technology. That’s what makes the project so interesting. The sOccket folks are off to begin beta testing in Nigeria, so keep your eyes peeled for sOccket news. We’ll let you know when we hear of updates.

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