Putting raindrops to work is an unusual idea Derek Croucher / Alamy
A generator that harvests the pitter-patter of raindrops can produce enough electricity to power LED lights, though it is unclear how practical it might be.
Yonghui Zhang and colleagues at Dalian University of Technology in China created a device that they call a superhydrophobic magnetoelectric generator (MSMEG), which is essentially a canister the size of a tin of soup with a water-repelling film lid that is stuck to a coil of wire. When a raindrop hits the film, it deforms it momentarily, moving the coil relative to a…
