We have seen many eco friendly devices here on GadgetLite but none of them have used fuel cells before. One of the first device on the market that is using fuel cells at the moment comes from Horizon and it is called MiniPak.

MiniPak is using hydrogen fuel cell which means that they are self rechargeable and that they can replace 1000 disposable AA alkaline batteries. ManiPak allows both power and money saving and the best thing about it is that it’s fully recyclable because it’s not using any heavy metals or toxic liquids.

So how does MiniPak works? The MiniPak uses a combination of Horizon’s PEM fuel cells and a new low-cost metal hydride storage, which is able to store hydrogen safely as a dry, non-toxic material. The fuel cartridge contains a metallic sponge that is able to absorb hydrogen and turn it into a solid hydride. After that it is able to release it back to the fuel cell when needed. The PEM fuel cell combines oxygen from the air with the stored hydrogen, so it’s like having a small plant in your own pocket.

As for the compatible devices MiniPak is currently limited to small devices because it is delivering 1.5 to 2 W of energy through standard USB port. Although it works like a portable charger MiniPak works great as flashlight as well.

So what can we say about MikiPak? It’s great device that will preserve our environment and we can only say that Horizon did an amazing job with this device.

[via Gizmag]