Power Walking towards a greener planet
The Internet of Things and wearable devices like smart watches are of great interest nowadays as they make your life much more convenient and functional. But a major limitation with these devices is the power supply needed. Either the batteries are big and heavy and if not, they run out of power very quickly. German researchers have found an innovative way to tackle this problem.
They harvest the energy that is generated from the movement of a person walking or sprinting. They have created a “shock harvester” that generates power when the heel of a shoe strikes the ground and a “swing harvester” that generates power when the foot is swinging and both of them can be comfortably be fit into the sole of an ordinary shoe. The goal is to put an end to the continuous replacement and disposal of batteries which is expensive and hazardous for the environment.
The energy output of these harvesters is small but sufficient to power wireless transmitters and small sensors. One application of these is indoor navigation where you can track how much you have walked and in which direction. So, for a rescue unit walking into a building they didn’t know, they could track their movement with a handheld device. Further, this concept of generating power from electromagnetic conduction can be applied to smart watches and other wearable devices too to make them self-sustaining.
Sources:
