World Cup Fever is in full swing as several nations compete to see who is the best at soccer (or football if your favorite team is outside of the United States or Canada). Soccer is an especially popular sport in places like Brazil and South Africa where electricity service can be scarce. New York City based Uncharted Play Inc. has combined soccer balls and energy production and created the Soccket, a soccer ball shaped generator. The ball weighs a mere 17 ounces, just one ounce more than a regulation soccer ball.

The ball contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery, a motor, and a zinc pendulum that converts the kinetic play energy into useable electrical energy. The company is currently working on the second generation of the ball. For every half hour the ball is played with, an LED lamp can be powered for three hours. The lamp, or any other small appliance like a cell phone charger, plugs into a socket on the outside of the ball. In tests of the first generation Soccket, an LED lamp could be run continuously for more than 72 hours with a fully charged Soccket. The ball is airless, and thus cannot be deflated. It also has a water resistant shell.

During the World Cup in Brazil, Uncharted Play has been presenting children in the favelas with Socckets, letting them see how they can light up their small homes at night by playing their favorite sport in the day. The second generation of Socckets will also feature a power sharing dock. The dock can be connected to the Soccket, and it will charge five included LED lamps. The lamps can be removed from the dock and used up to 4 hours per charge. The dock and lights are all made from rubber, supercapacitors, lithium ion batteries, and recyclable plastic. In countries like those in Africa, electricity can be hard to come by. Some remote homes use generators to light their interiors, but that requires constantly purchasing fuel and running the loud generators. A Soccket will light up the home for hours with just a small amount of play.

These balls can also benefit people right here in the US as well. They are great for outdoor camping; simply play soccer with friends or family and use the stored energy to power lamps for reading or preparing for bed. The company is also making a jump rope kinetic energy charger called Pulse that can give you a 50% charge on your smartphone with just 15 minutes of jumping. And every purchase of a Soccket or Pulse will benefit a child in an area that needs electrical service. You can keep yourself healthy through the exercise, keep your home lit with the kinetic energy, and keep another child’s home lit with your purchase of a Soccket or Pulse.