The RegenBox is based on a counterintuitive idea: it would be possible to “regenerate” so-called single-use alkaline batteries, provided certain limits are respected. The principle is not new: in the 1980s, chemist Karl Kordesh, co-inventor of the alkaline battery, showed that a system of electrical micro-pulses could temporarily restore capacity to these batteries. A patent was even exploited in the 1990s by the American manufacturer Rayovac, without lasting commercial success.
A well-supervised regeneration
It is on this basis that the RegenBox project, born within Atelier 21, is based, a research program dedicated to forgotten energy technologies. The objective is to reduce the volume of waste linked to alkaline batteries, which too often end up incinerated or buried, even though recycling is not considered the most virtuous solution in the long term.
The first incarnation of the concept, the RegenBox 1, is clearly aimed at an informed audience. Sold in kit form for €49, it arrives in separate parts: printed circuit, electronic components, laser-cut and laser-engraved wooden case, USB cable. Assembly requires a soldering iron, tin, a voltmeter, some basic tools and basic electronics knowledge. Once assembled, the box allows you to regenerate AA and AAA alkaline batteries whose voltage has fallen, provided you check their condition before and after the operation.
Power supply is via USB, from a computer, a power adapter or even an external battery. The case, deliberately not sealed, remains accessible for possible repairs or modifications. On the other hand, compatibility is strictly limited: only 1.5 V alkaline batteries are supported. Any extension to other formats is the responsibility of the user.
With the RegenBox 2, the project changes dimension. This new version abandons DIY in favor of a ready-to-use device, mass-produced and offered at €69. The heart of the system becomes digital: a microcontroller controls a new regeneration algorithm, supposed to improve the efficiency of the process.
The main evolution concerns usage. No more need for a voltmeter: each battery slot has a multi-color LED indicating the status before, during and after regeneration. Power switches to USB-C, and the device can accommodate up to four AA or AAA batteries simultaneously. The software will evolve through updates, integrating advances from internal research.
Environmental consistency is also highlighted. The shell of the RegenBox 2 is designed in a 100% biosourced, recyclable material and produced in France from non-food-producing land. The company thus claims a more robust and more durable device, while limiting the use of plastics derived from petroleum.
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