Nokia talks-up eco-phone

 

Gallery

By Stuart Turton

Posted on 10 Dec 2007 at 13:07

Nokia researchers are developing an eco-concept phone that alongside making calls, also monitors your health and the local environment.

The device is a two-part concept, featuring a wearable sensor unit powered by solar cells, which can be customised to fulfil a range of duties.

In one example, Nokia suggests setting it up as a health monitor, with the sensors monitoring heart rate, blood pressure and motion detectors measuring walking pace.

In another, the company envision it being set up to provide information on local atmospheric conditions, including weather and humidity, carbon monoxide levels, particulate matter in the air and ultraviolet radiation.

All of this information would then be communicated via RFID to a separate, large screen handset that would display the data through charts and graphs. The information could also be posted to a website or blog, which could have interesting implications for environmental research.

As part of the eco-concept the materials used in the design will be renewable or reclaimed, and the devices optimised for lower energy consumption than current handsets.

The emergence of the eco-concept phone, follows Nokia's slip from the top of Greenpeace's quarterly "Green Guide" to the middle of the pack, with the environmental group accusing it of "corporate misbehaviour" with regards to some of its environmental practices.