Charging Up for Change: A journey into sustainable electronics

Ever wondered how your phone changes brightness in the sunshine? Or how streetlamps turn on at night? Well, they are both controlled by sensors.

In this activity, you will design and innovate to solve real-world challenges using environment monitoring sensors. You’ll be able to use one of our specifically created ‘recipe’ cards to construct your own circuit. Or if you already know your displays from your diodes, you can design your own smart power-saving device by choosing from our selection of components.

Tech innovation is great for making our homes, schools and workplaces more comfortable and greener, by reducing energy use. Tech innovations and sensor technologies are a crucial ingredient for sustainable development and creating better futures for us and our communities.

At the global scale, they are used in early warning systems to predict natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. At the other end of the scale, they are found in wearable health electronics, like smartwatches and continuous glucose monitors, which allow us to monitor our health in real-time and make informed decisions for our wellbeing.

Importantly, as engineers, we have a crucial part to play in creating a sustainable future. The processes involved at the end of a device’s life are just as important as those at the beginning, so we need to take the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations into consideration. Not only so we can dispose of items in an ethical way, but also because they can inform us how to choose the most sustainable options in the design process.

By harnessing the power of innovation, we can address pressing global challenges, protect our planet, and improve the quality of life for current and future generations.

Charging Up for Change is a collaboration between the Department of Engineering and Churchill College, Cambridge.