Who invented the thermoelectric flashlight?

Are you stuck in the dark? No lighting devices around? Well, did you know that the source of the light you need is yourself? Discovering the potential of our own body heat, Canadian young inventor Ann Makosinski came to our rescue with an invention that could easily bring darkness to light.

By Jane Dickens Published on 29 Temmuz 2022 : 12:21.
Who invented the thermoelectric flashlight?

Makosinski, who invented the thermoelectric flashlight that works by making use of the warmth of the human hand, is also the creator of the e-Drink mug, which charges the phone by using the heat energy of hot drinks such as coffee and tea. The owner of these very practical inventions that will be useful in our daily life is still quite young. Born in 1997, Makosinski was so successful before she even turned his twentieth birthday that she was mentioned so often; She has given 5 TEDx talks so far, has been a guest on Jimmy Fallon Show, one of the famous talk shows in the USA, twice, and in 2013, she was included in TIME Magazine's list of "30 people under the age of 30 who changed the world". Apart from this, the young inventor, who has many awards, seems to be mentioned for many years with his inventions.

Ann Makosinski (born 1997) is a Canadian inventor and public speaker. She is best known for her invention of the thermoelectric flashlight in 2011.

Of course, Ann Makosinski's young age is not the only interesting part of the story. Ann also did not receive any training in numerical or engineering, contrary to popular belief. The young inventor is studying English Literature at university and responds to those who are surprised by this: “I think it is very important to have a balance between science and art in order to be accessible to both fields. This field intrigued me, but I do all my science and business studies outside of school.”

Expressing that she has been interested in creating new objects, especially electronics and cameras, since she was little.

Makosinski explains that she spent hours doing various repairs, trials and experiments by himself. This invention of Makosinski, who made the first prototype of his hand-held lantern at the age of 15, was the result of a school project. The goal of the project; was to produce a practical solution for those with limited access to electricity and power supplies. One day, when a Filipino friend told him that she had to drop out of school because she could not afford the electricity bills and therefore could not have the light to study at night, the young inventor was inspired by this story and developed this invention, which is now spoken all over the world. Finding a way to give everyone easy access to light was his main goal.

This lantern, developed by Makosinski and known as the Hollow Flashlight, takes advantage of the peltier effect and allows one side of the tool to heat up while one side cools. The lantern with led lamp, which works by making use of hand heat, can provide light for twenty minutes. The invention also won awards at the 2013 Canadian Science Exhibition, the 2013 Google Science Exhibition, and the 2014 International Science and Engineering Exhibition.

After this invention, Makosinski invented the e-Drink beverage mug, again as part of a school project. The heat energy of the hot drink is collected through the insulated mug, stored as electrical energy thanks to the battery in the mug, and any external device such as a mobile phone can be charged with this energy. For example, this charge can increase the battery life of an iPhone by 10 to 30 minutes. Besides all this, Makosinski was also discovered by publishers. She continues to work on two books, one of which is a comic book series and the other is a memoir.

The advice of Makosinski, who managed to win the attention of the whole world at her young age, to all students and young inventors is remarkable: “Start now. There is nothing to hold you back! Do not think that I am still a student and do not have to do anything other than being a student. The truth is you can do many things; you can do whatever you want. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to other people, ask for help and get ideas!”

The young inventor looks like she will shed light on many people for many years, both with her rhetoric and with her inventions.

For detailed information: 

https://www.herox.com/blog/140-harnessing-alternative-energy-the-body-heat-powere