Like every newborn, sOccket’s story starts with a dribble. Except a dribbling sOccket produces electric energy that be used for communities in need. A brainchild of four Harvard graduates, the sOccket soccer ball uses kinetic energy to generate up to three hours of electricity for every half hour of play. Created by Unchartered Play, the sOccket is already reaching corners of the world that electricity hasn’t gotten to yet like wide swaths of South America and Africa. So far, 2,500 sOcckets are being passed around and plugged in, and Uncharted Play is looking to score 7,500 more by year’s end. In tying leisure to life’s needs, Uncharted Play is catching the attention of global press and top-notch groups like the Clinton Global Initiative.

Thursday and Friday, sOccket will be popping up at Openhouse Gallery. Thursday for a private press preview and Friday for a public pop up where you’ll be able to check out the amazing invention that’s been featured in CNN, Fast Company, New York Times, The Atlantic, Huffington Post and UrbanDaddy. Friday from 9 am-9 pm, Uncharted Play will show off all the devices sOccket can power, they’ll explain the electricity-generating soccer ball’s evolution and a group of freestyle soccer players will put the sOccket to the test. You’ll be able to play around with the sOccket too – either to power your iPod or dribble around Openhouse Gallery’s pop-up soccer field. The professional freestyling will be accompanied by African Djembe Bongo performers for a pop-up experience you won’t want to miss.

While supplies last, you’ll be able to purchase exclusive sOcckets for $89. For each ball that’s purchased, sOccket will donate one to a community in need. Unchartered Play will also be selling exercise shirts and wrist bands (free if you pre-order a ball).

Photo courtesy of sOccket.

Greg Spielberg | September 20 2011
greg@openhousegallery.org

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