The Team
Stamp Thermoelectric Generation (Stamp TEG) is Adam Millat, Ben Kellie, and Yuri Kubo. Adam and Ben are both mechanical engineers with a B.S. and M.S., respectively, from Ohio State University. Yuri is an electrical engineer with a M.S. from Purdue. We are passionate about design, gadgets, building, and outdoor pursuits (and not always in that order). Stamp is something that we want and need for our own adventures, and we're excited to make it a reality.
The Background
The idea for the Stamp was born from Ben's experiences growing up and flying throughout rural Alaska in small Bush planes. He was excited to bring tech into the remote areas he explored, however soon found the weak link: keeping a GPS or other device going for days or weeks at a time. That meant hauling a lot of extra batteries along. They'd pack them in and dutifully pack the expired lot back out after use. It was an unsustainable approach and an epic waste. Worse still, if the stores of backups got wet or too cold they could be ruined.
After many such trips, the idea for Stamp was born. A device that could be pre-charged from the wall to provide battery backup, and then be continuously recharged using heat, seemed ideal. There isn't always sun or wind, but they always had a fire or a warm stove at night. Thermoelectrics allow us to harness that wasted heat energy and store it to keep our electronic gadgets going. Putting that technology inside a tough, waterproof, shockproof package meant that we could rely on it in the toughest of conditions. That's what we are working to build.