At the CES 2024 event last month, this company unveiled what is said to be the world’s first self-charging protective communications headset (photo) that converts outdoor and indoor light into clean electrical energy. The Peltor WS Alert XPV headset uses a patented solar-cell technology called Powerfoyle that recharges a built-in lithium-ion battery and eliminates the need for single-use batteries. This means that whether users are working outdoors in the sun or inside with artificial light, their headset will continuously charge. In addition to light-harvesting capabilities, the headset includes many advanced features that allows workers to stay safe, connected and productive. It can connect with Bluetooth technology-enabled devices and offers a noise-cancelling microphone to enable easier and clearer conversations, even in noisy work environments. The push-to-listen feature allows users to hear their surroundings without removing the headset by pausing Bluetooth streaming and activating the ambient microphones to listen to nearby colleagues and sounds. Users can quickly adjust the settings using the headset’s glove-friendly push buttons. — 3M Co., St. Paul, Minn.
This protective headset can charge itself using ambient light
| By Mary Page Bailey and Gerald Ondrey