What's interesting about the new design is the two piezoelectric sensors attached to each end -- one of them transfers a low voltage of power through the armor in the form of vibration, which the other picks up, and the reported energy loss is interpreted as armor degradation.

ENGADGET: blogger-avatar

New York City, electric power is transmitted by high voltage cables encased in steel pipelines to electric substations where the power is converted to low voltage feeders supplying about 55 distribution networks.

FORBES: Brave New World For Big Apple's Power Grid

Dixon has harnessed a process known as mineral accretion a tool of bioengineering to subject the chairs to low-voltage charges of solar power that encourage the growth of limestone at something close to three times the usual rate.

WSJ: Tom Dixon Makes Things Better

Based on Samsung's BSI low power process technology, the S5K3H2 is able to operate on 1.2 voltage levels enabling longer battery life for high-end mobile and smartphones.

ENGADGET: Samsung releases 8 and 12 megapixel CMOS smartphone sensors, shoots 1080p on the go

As eardrum vibrations naturally create a usable voltage from brain signals, the prototype can build enough charge in a capacitor to drive a very low-power wireless transmitter that relays the electrochemical properties of the ear and potentially diagnoses balance or hearing problems.

ENGADGET: MIT ear-powered wireless sensor sustains its charge through sound