Power Pacing
Researchers collaborating in British Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan have created a device which generates energy by assisting deceleration of the leg during a normal walking stride. The technique is similar to that used in some hybrid cars, which generate electricity through braking.
The current prototype device can produce enough power in one minute to run a cell phone for ten minutes straight.
Early uses for the device will likely include powering artificial limbs, but this line of discovery opens up enticing possibilities for the future. Will we see humans one day generating all the energy they need from the simple act of walking?
Photo by Hugo* under Creative Commons license.
Tweet- 2-26-08
- Kal Cobalt's blog
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Walking energy
Juicy, Kal. I read the linked article. Harvestable energy seems to be all around, waiting for clever means to capture and store it. I'd love to have a rig, whereby I hike for an hour, then have enough amp/hours stored to run the laptop and charge the phone. Seems a win/win lifestyle. Thanks for the novelty, please keep it coming.
JED
Everybody's waiting, all right
Jeff, I agree. "Go for a walk and power my gadgets" is awfully alluring. This sort of technology might even revolutionize the old trope of a race for a given charity -- maybe we'll see a marathon to capture enough energy to power a home for the disadvantaged. Or people hooking into their electric company's grid and putting energy back during their morning run.
So much potential!
Methane fuel cells