New Smartwatch for 2017 Never Needs to Be Charged, Powered Completely By Body Heat

The PowerWatch by Matrix Industries is a smartwatch that charges for as long as it is being worn. The wearable uses thermoelectric generation technology, which converts the wearer’s body heat into electricity and harnesses it for power. This means that you no longer need to take off your smartwatch at night to charge it. When the watch is taken off, it automatically enters low-power sleep mode, and relies on its internal battery.

The downside to relying on human body heat for power is that there isn’t that much of it to go around. The PowerWatch, which uses a low-power consuming microprocessor called AMBI Q, only offers basic functions, according to Engadget. It tells the time, has a built-in stopwatch and timer, allows you to set fitness goals, and measures your steps and sleep-quality.

One unique thing the PowerWatch does, is monitor the amount of energy you are generating, which in turn, tells you how many calories you’re burning. This data can be transferred to your phone via Bluetooth, so you can measure the energy you’ve generated over a given period of time.

The PowerWatch prototype was developed as a proof-of-concept for Matrix Industries’ thermoelectric generation tech, according to Gizmodo. What it proves is that such technology can be adapted and shrunk for use in a wide array of devices, both wearable and otherwise. It’s available for pre-order on Indiegogo for $99, and will be released around mid-2017.