Sole Mio, a concept mouse powered by the Sun

Sole Mio is the world's first exclusively photovoltaic-powered computer mouse.

Sole Mio, developed by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, is the world's first exclusively photovoltaic-powered (PV) computer mouse. Harnessing solar energy for powering a mouse is a good concept, no doubt. But for the idea to be practical, you need to have offices designed to have regular access to sunlight (via windows, etc.)

Sole Mio uses 20mA of electricity while active, can store 300mAh onboard, and can charge at a rate of up to 250 mA in full sunlight.

Remains to be seen whether the mouse can be functional for average users on a day-to-day basis, for designers admit its success is likely dependant upon users adjusting their mouse-using habits to include plenty of downtime in the sun. But once users warm up to the idea, the mouse (currently in the experimental stage) has the potential to save several million watts of power annually on a global scale.

[Via gizmodo ] [ Via tudelft ]