 This is the VOA Special English Technology Report. Have you ever heard the expression, a ball of energy? People often use the term to describe very active children. But today, we tell about an invention called the socket. That is a real ball of energy. A woman who developed the socket calls it a cutting edge portable generator in the form of a soccer ball. Julia Silverman developed the socket with Jessica Matthews as part of a group project for an engineering class at Harvard University. To better understand what a socket is, you first need to understand how it works. When you play with a ball, a lot of energy is transferred or moves to the ball. Julia Silverman says the socket captures this energy before it is lost or breaks up into the environment. Her invention attempts to capture the energy and then store it for future use. The socket collects and stores this energy with every kick, hit, or throw of the ball. Julia Silverman says users can connect small electrical devices like a light directly into the ball. For every 15 minutes of gameplay, the socket can provide enough electricity to power an LED lamp for up to three hours. The ball can store up to 24 hours worth of power. The International Energy Association reported last year that nearly one and a half billion people do not have access to electricity. Most of them live in India, other Asian nations, and in Africa, south of the Sahara. Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews both had experience in developing countries before they began the project. They knew that power shortages are a serious problem in many areas. Julia Silverman says there is an energy crisis in the world. She notes that one in every five people does not have any electricity. And there are health issues because those with no electricity may use devices like kerosene lamps, which can produce a lot of smoke. Ms. Silverman says the socket is one small solution to a big problem. Jessica Matthews and Julia Silverman have started a nonprofit organization called Uncharted Play. They hope their socket ball will shine more light on the problem of power shortages. It offers people a chance to put their energy into the world's most popular sport and get some energy in return. And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report. For VOA Special English, I'm Carolyn Presuti.