US and Canadian scientists have created a unique and useful device that will use your body movements while walking to charge up your batteries for a whole host of gadgets. As a human dynamo you will effortlessly produce enough energy to power up your mobile for 30 minutes form just one minute walking.
The dynamo is strapped to your knee and works as you move, using a process that similar to those found in hybrid cars. Each one of your steps will generate power using the car technology known as 'regenerative braking'. The knee brace has a series of gears and sensors that are used to assist your muscles in the walking action and simultaneously produce electricity.
Your energy harvesting efforts will give off 5 watts of electricity (for a slow walk), and at 1.6kg and aesthetically-challenged this early version is not quite ready for either the rigours of daily living or the catwalk.
What's Driving This Trend
- Energy Harvesting Products
- Develop and market devices that can harness energy from body movements to power up gadgets.
- Wearable Technology
- Design and create energy harvesting knee braces to complement and enhance other wearable technology devices.
- Sustainable Power Generation
- Further develop the technology used in hybrid cars to generate clean and sustainable power for various applications.
Who This Affects Most
- Fitness
- Incorporate the energy harvesting knee brace into fitness equipment to enable gym-goers to power their gadgets.
- Medical Devices
- Integrate the technology into medical devices to provide patients with wearable, battery-free power sources for monitoring and treatment devices.
- Wearable Fashion
- Collaborate with fashion companies to develop aesthetically-pleasing designs for energy harvesting knee braces that can easily be incorporated into everyday outfits.
