InCharge battery station

At the Greener Gadgets Conference last week in New York, designers showcased their ideas for eco-friendly gadgets as part of a green-design competition. From devices that create their own energy to those that minimize the need for any electricity at all, here are some of the finalists, as chosen by a combination of public votes prior to the conference, and judges' commentary and audience participation during the actual event.

The InCharge battery station by New York design firm Pensa encourages the use of rechargeable batteries with a self-sorting design that sends power only to batteries that still need charging. If all batteries tossed into the unit are already charged, the smart plug just shuts down all power to the device.

InCharge sorts AAA, AA, C, and D batteries.

Read more in our related article: "Innovations grow at Greener Gadgets confab"

March 1, 2010 5:01 PM PST

Photo by: Pensa

| Caption by: Leslie Katz