A small feature meant to save battery and keep ears free of obstruction when not in use. These bluetooth buds will answer a call when the right bud is put into the ear. The user may keep the left one in or put into a left pocket, but the buds will only power up and answer a call when the right one is inserted in the ear. Temperature?
-- minoradjustments, Dec 01 2019

Peltier powered https://medium.com/...arbuds-aef841a2a113
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 01 2019]

Intriguing [+]
-- 8th of 7, Dec 01 2019


I've never used battery-powered buds, but the idea of using temperature to turn them on sounds good. [+]
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 01 2019


Here's a blog from a guy trying to actually make thermoelectric ear buds which require no external power source. [link]
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 01 2019


Baked. If you look at Lt. Uhura's earpiece, you'll see it has a prominent finned portion. This is the external heatsink for the Seebeck-effect thermopile that powers it.

The unit activates automatically when inserted into an ear canal.

That's different from the concept currently under discussion.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 01 2019


[2fries], heat to electricity is the Seebeck or Thermocouple effect; the Peltier effect is the reverse - current to heat-pumping.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 01 2019


Oh, I haven't looked up Pelttier yet.
I've only gotten as far as the D's in the Everythingictionary, but this guy specifically mentions using Peltier plates as a power source for ear buds.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 01 2019


Peltier devices can be used "backwards" to generate electricalenergy.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 01 2019



random, halfbakery