First there was the Playpump, then there was the sOccket Ball, and now there is another way to harness all that unlimited energy that young children have.

Designers Aaron Tsui, Irina Kozlovskaya, Jasen Mehta, and Sergio Silva have created Rocco, the energy pal, a rocking horse designed to use the kinetic energy from rocking back and forth, presumably not gently.

When the internal battery on Rocco is full charged, its ears will light up. By the way, these ears are detachable and can be used individually as flashlights. That could come in handy during a blackout, and I imagine that these ears could work as a nightlight in a toddler’s room.

So, I have a question. If we can harness the kinetic energy from a rocking horse, why can’t we do the same for a rocking chair? That way, all the energy from senior citizens rocking back and forth will be used to power…something. Something very small probably. Okay, that was a diss on old people, I admit it. However, if you want to compare the energy output level of a child with the energy output level of a senior citizen, then you are doing the apples to oranges thing.

The Rocco is a concept device for now, but I’ll be darned if it isn’t a useful one. The world needs more ways to get energy from renewable resources. Too bad Rocco will stop being a renewable resource when a kid grows out of it.

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