Ember, a Portable Power Supply

Variable benchtop power supplies are one of the most essential devices in an electrical engineer’s toolset. Instead of being restricted to the voltage and current output of a nearby supply – or maybe a hacky arrangement of voltage dividers and the like – they allow you to literally dial in the needed voltage and/or maximum current at a moment's notice.

The problem with most benchtop supplies is that they inherently need to be plugged in to function. If, however, you’d like to take your experimentation on the go, then the Ember portable power supply by Blue Smoke Electronics out of Norway may be the perfect solution. This device features a 5.9Wh battery, and charges via USB-C, enabling you to plug in and grab power, then use it remotely as needed.

Voltage output can be set at between 0 and 15V, with current settings up to 1A. It's demonstrated in the video below, powering up an LED while restricting the current to the proper 20mA. Although portability is the main benefit, it also functions as an energy buffer when plugged in, and isolates devices from the grid when running entirely on battery power.

The unit is for sale; however, as of this writing it does not ship to the US, and only one prototype is available. On the other hand, lots of info on the device can be found on its GitHub page. If you feel inspired, perhaps you could build your own version!