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Tom Krupenkin and J.Ashley Taylor from the University
of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered a way to convert and harness the
energy you produce while walking to reusable electricity.
Through a novel methodology called "Reverse Electrowetting," the
mechanical-to-electrical energy converting technology may soon be able
to power mobile devices such as your smartphone or laptop, the
researchers contend.
In a research report posted this week on Nature Communication, Krupenkin
and Taylor describe how the electricity-harnessing technology should
help us not only reduce our dependence on batteries, but also make cell
phone batteries more durable, making them last 10 times longer.
"Humans, generally speaking, are very powerful energy-producing
machines. While sprinting, a person can produce as much as a kilowatt of
power," said Krupenkin, a professor of mechanical engineering at
UW-Madison.
"Grabbing even a small fraction of that energy is enough to power a host
of mobile electronic devices – everything from laptop computers to cell
phones to flashlights," Krupenkin continued in a university.
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In reverse electrowetting, mechanical energy is converted to electrical
energy by using a micro-fluidic device consisting of thousands of liquid
micro-droplets interacting with another novel nano-sized structure.
Krupenkin and Taylor have taken the initiative to start commercializing
this technology by establishing a company called InStep NanoPower.
InStep NanoPower will produce energy harvesters embedded in footwear
that captures the energy generated by humans while walking.
The technology will convert the mechanical energy in up to 20 watts of
electrical power, which could be used to power mobile devices. And
unlike a traditional battery, the energy harvested will never be
charged, due to the constant energy generation produced by walking.
Other applications for the energy harvester include integrating it with
a Wi-Fi hot spot in order to act as a "middleman" and dramatically
reduce the energy usage of mobile devices that are continuously
communicating with the wireless networks.
Krupenkin and Taylor argue that this technology could extend not only to
smartphones and laptops, but to radios, GPS units, night-vision goggles,
flashlights, and other devices normally used in places where power
supplies are not available.
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