If this turns out to be capable of generating enough current to keep a phone charged, that’s a big deal. If enough of these packaged together can run a small computer such as a Raspberry Pi, that’s a REALLY big deal. And if you could package enough of these together in a small enough area to run an electric vehicle, then life as we know it may be about to change! Let’s hope there not some unforeseen drawback to this – for example, do these only work for a short amount of time before needing replacement? Are they terribly costly to make in quantity? I just really hope this turns out to have practical use in consumer grade equipment. But also, if that’s the case, I hope this is not just another of those inventions that could change the world but that seemingly disappears into oblivion shortly after being announced.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A team of University of Arkansas physicists has successfully developed a circuit capable of capturing graphene’s thermal motion and converting it into an electrical current.

“An energy-harvesting circuit based on graphene could be incorporated into a chip to provide clean, limitless, low-voltage power for small devices or sensors,” said Paul Thibado, professor of physics and lead researcher in the discovery.

Source: Physicists Build Circuit That Generates Clean, Limitless Power From Graphene (University of Arkansas)

UPDATES:
The Power of Motion; Harvesting Energy from Freestanding Graphene
The Power of Motion: Physicist Paul Thibado Updates Listeners of ‘Short Talks’ About His Work