CrankCase – Power up your iPhone from your motion

How to get the hand crank technology closer to smartphone users, the ones who desperately need it? Attach it to their smartphone so that they can carry it all the time without even realizing. Ampware, an inventive company from Baton Rouge, Louisiana created an Indiegogo campaing for raising funds to complete their invention – CrankCase a hand crank iphone charger which comes as an add-on case to your iphone, protecting it and giving you the opportunity to tap into the unlimited source of power, right on your palm.

What’s it all about?

As we all know smartphone battery life can often be a frustrating problem for those constantly on the go or during an emergency without electricity. How many times you ran out of juice at the worst possible moment, trying to make that call searching for phone charger so you could plug it in only to find out that there’s no charger or no socket nearby. We’ve all been there and realizing this, Ampware announced the launch of CrankCase and CrankBox, a smartphone case with an integrated hand-crank generator and a universal generator, respectively.

The revolutionary devices allow smartphones and virtually any mobile USB charged device to never be without power, regardless of location. CrankCase patent-pending technology instantly develops 500 mA when hand cranked. Should users ever find themselves without power, they can re-energize their device’s battery, getting three hours of battery life for five minutes of crank time. Plug any USB-charged device into the charging port for a jump charge.

The indiegogo campaign states that CrankCase will be designed for popular smartphone models, including iPhone 5, 5S and 6 in various colors with compatibility for Android and other devices in development. The CrankCase also features a hidden, removable CrankCable under the crank handle which can be used like a normal cable in emergencies or when you don’t have one. Plus the phone can be charged with regular cables without removing the phone from the case. An option for all smartphone/mobile device users, the CrankBox will also be separately available to charge any device using a USB connection.

How does it work?

You unfold the crank handle and spin the handle.  The handle is connected to a rare earth magnet dynamo generator which produces serious power to charge your phone.  The generator is connected to your phone via a USB charging cable.  You can use this short cable to sync to a laptop.  Cranking the CrankCase gives you backup talk/text time when you have no access to wall power. As the inventors claim the 5 minutes cranking will be enough to power your smartphone for a 3 hours standby time or 15 minutes of talk time.

Design journey

Mark Gabriel and Erik Durr, the co-founders of Ampware, met while they were students at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. In 2005, Gabriel and Durr were both directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, separated from loved ones, they relied solely on their cell phones to keep in contact with friends and family. This circumstance became the inspiration for CrankCase, a way to keep a smartphone powered in any situation. As an engineer and product designers they have worked together on five different successful startups since they met in 2008.  They are committed to getting their hands dirty and making this a success.

The Ampware team has been working hard to get our pre-production work complete. Currently they have a working model of the CrankCase and plans for manufacturing the CrankCase and CrankBox. Their intention is to keep control over production, so assembly of the CrankCase and CrankBox will be right where they are based in the USA. With indigogo campaign they need your contributions to keep them going and allow them to make AMPWARE into a household name.  Our products may even help save lives.

To support Ampware’s plan and get the CrankCase and CrankBox through early bird prices, along with other products from Ampware, please visit their Indigogo campaign.

UPDATE: You can buy CrankCase at amazone store.