• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, January 2, 2015

If there’s one thing that unites mobile-using humanity in the 21st century, it’s our lust for power -- specifically, juice for our precious smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers. While some public venues like airports and stadiums have installed additional electrical outlets in recent years, there’s still a very good chance you’ll find yourself unexpectedly powerless on a plane, attending a conference, at a bar mitzvah, or wherever.

However you can now bring your own recharging station with you wherever you go, thanks to AMPL Labs, which just unveiled the AMPL SmartBackpack, a backpack that incorporates up to four rechargeable batteries -- one permanent, and three optional modular batteries -- with seven USB connections for various kinds of devices.

The permanent 18.5-watt-hour battery can recharge a smartphone up to three times, and the user can choose from several different battery types for the three module batteries, including an 18.5-watt-hour battery that can recharge a smartphone and a tablet simultaneously and a 55-watt-hour battery that can recharge a laptop.

The backpack’s charging system includes SmartSensors that monitor the batteries’ charge levels in order to recharge devices at the optimal rate, thereby conserving power for future use. The batteries recharge devices at roughly twice the rate of regular lithium-ion batteries. The SmartBackpack is also designed to protect portable electronic devices with shock absorbing dampers and a rain-resistant coating.

People are working on a number of nifty solutions for keeping mobile devices charged on the go. Last month I wrote about a prototype battery created by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that may one day be able to recharge mobile devices using warmth from the human body. Meanwhile, an Israeli company called StoreDot has developed a super-fast charging battery that could store enough power for a day’s mobile use in just 30 seconds.