Powering Up, One Step at a Time
 

British engineers are converting street vibrations into electricity and predict a working prototype by Christmas capable of powering facility lights in the busiest areas of a city.

"We can harvest between 5 to 7 watts of energy per footstep that is currently being wasted into the ground," says Claire Price, director of The Facility Architects, the British firm heading up the Pacesetters Project. "And a passing train can generate very useful energy to run signaling or to power lights."

Like solar and wind proponents, vibration harvesters argue that abundant, clean energy is all around us and goes to waste. The challenge is how to store the power efficiently so it provides a continual output even if the vibrations from footsteps or passing trains temporarily taper off.

full story: http://www.wired.com/news/technology...?tw=wn_index_4

"We can harvest between 5 to 7 watts of energy per footstep that is currently being wasted into the ground," - marathons and walks will take on a different meaning! :1orglaugh

piezo electrics , there is/was a pair of hiking boots that was set to go into development , each footstep you take recharges a battery
you might have also noticed the samething in kids shoes a few years ago that litl up when the kid took a step

wow, thats a cool read

holy shit thats way kewl. :thumbsup

it's good to see technology being developed 2 help us and the planet! :thumbsup

thats fucking awesome!

thats amazing stuff

sounds like magic.

That is amazing...

As if we didn't have the capability to develop this technology 50 years ago. I wonder why we didn't. Hmm...

straight brilliant

So if vibrations create a power source then that must be the reason girls scream when using a vibrator..

I guess it can be a good excuse to get girls to use toys that vibrate during shoots!

"Your vibrations added with an orgasm will generate enough power to operate my camera" :winkwink:

or even better! Self charging vibrators!