Smartwatches lack one major feature of a traditional watch, where it excels in being more than just a timepiece, it falls in battery life. Traditional watches have no issue lasting a lifetime but smartwatches will need to be charged every few days. That might all change with the Matrix Powerwatch, which claims to be able to charge itself just from your body heat.
The Matrix Powerwatch uses a Thermoelectric Generator that senses body heat and converts it into energy. For it to generate a charge, it has to has to have a hot and cold side. The hot side is the circular black aluminium plate on the back and the cold side is the entire metal bezel and body of the watch. These two sides are separated by a layer of insulating thermoplastic. Heat is transferred from the hot to cold side through the thermoplastic and this in turn, generates electricity. There is also a small battery inside that is constantly being charged when you wear the watch and can last up to one year. However, the charge rate is affected by the activity you are doing such as walking or running and the surrounding temperature.
