At the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, pedal powering your gadgets is not a problem. You can jump on a stationary bike and charge the device in no time.
One of the most frustrating things that could happen to you at an airport, well, besides being stuck in a line at passport control for hours, is to run out of battery on your favorite electronic gadget.
The latest technologies provide us with the comfort to have it all in one, emails, text messages, social media, books, movies, music, you name it, which also means that running out charge is running out of all personal entertainment.
But Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the world’s 3rd largest by international passenger traffic and Europe’s 5th and the world’s 17th by number of flights, seems to have the solution to both and it is a very neat one. There is plenty to do, from going to a CASINO, to sitting in a library, all the way to having a Guinness in the Irish pub, but for some reason, no matter how entertained a person can be at an airport, if there is a long flight connection that includes hours and hours of waiting, there are two issues that everyone has, yet not many ways to avoid them or solve them.
For starters, one always tends to have the urge to check email, listen to their own music, or simply retreat for themselves at a quiet spot, but to do so, you need to have your gadget charged and at your disposal at all times. Next is that terrible feeling of being stiff and wanting to move your legs and stimulate your blood flow in one way or another, but it is never a good idea to start making laps at an airport unless you want to be taken to check out the small rooms at the back.
So, to provide you with the ultimate satisfaction, Schiphol now has a shiny bike-powered phone charging station, distributed by the company WeWatt. There, you can do your daily workout, and at the same time, charge your gadget with the kinetic energy you produce. The seats are very comfortable and have the cool “banana” shape from back in the days, but above all, you need to pedal for only about half an hour and your phone or tablet will be charged and at your service again. Here is a video of the bikes in action:
Now, this is definitely something that I would love to try out next time I’m there. I wonder how soon it would be for the technology to appear everywhere. I hope not too long. It can make any wait a lot more fun.
Image (c) C.Lepisto
