Science & Technology

Can walking around generate electricity ?

By T.K. Randall
October 2, 2014

Image: Electric Batteries
Credit: John Seb Barber / CC BY 2.0 (adapted) The concept was developed at the Center for Research in Advanced Materials (CIMAV) in an effort to find new ways to produce electricity from everyday activities.

The device consists of a pill-shaped cylinder attached to the sole of a person's shoes so that as they walk around the pressure from each footstep is converted in to mechanical-vibrational energy that is then stored for later use.In the prototype the system was used to recharge a watch being worn by the user.

"Today, the energy generated by people walking is wasted; if we learn to harvest it and turn it into electricity, we can contribute to the global impact," said researcher Hurtado Macias.

The team is now working on making the system as efficient as possible in the hope that it could one day be used in a wide variety of practical applications.

Source: Phys.org

Tags: Electricity, Power, Walking