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back to article Boffins cobble up phone-powering footwear

Research published by the University of Wisconsin describes a way of generating sufficient electrical energy from human movement to power mobile gadgets. Tapping into the kinetic energy inherent in, say, walking up the street and converting it into electrical energy is nothing new, but the Wisconsin team, led by Tom Krupenkin …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Obivous application

    Putting LEDs in shoes. Never put a foot wrong in the dark again. Or football boots, putting the flash into those flashy moves.

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  2. Christoph
    Boffin

    How does it affect your walking?

    What does it feel like to walk in these shoes, and does it make walking more difficult? I.e. is it extracting energy that would have gone as heat anyway, or do you end up using more energy to walk?

    Of course it might be useful to use more energy if you're walking for exercise, but not for normal walking.

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  3. Some Beggar

    Mmmm. Prickly.

    Does anybody want to volunteer to see what an unexpected 75V DC shock to the soles of the feet feels like? That could put a sudden spring in your step.

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Meh

    Fun at Airports

    Lithium batterys can burn or explode if damaged by cutting, puncture or impact. Not sure I want that under my feet...

    Never mind the the issues where you go through any metal detector, and thats not just airports these days.

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  5. Kubla Cant
    Thumb Up

    Get Smart

    Older readers may remember that the secret agent Maxwell Smart used his shoe as a phone. The synergy is obvious.

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  6. John Robson Silver badge

    Waiting for this

    to be put directly into phone, so they charge as you carry them down the street.

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  7. Tony 32
    Boffin

    Think the other way

    Instead of putting the tech into footware put it into the surfaces. Imaging a carpet (or tiles) in busy airport...... how much power could be generated ? True it would be a pain to clean and have a other issues.

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  8. GNoMe
    Facepalm

    This was done over 10 years ago.

    This was done over 10 years ago.

    http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/desktop-hardware/2000/01/12/brit-inventor-designs-in-shoe-mobile-charger-2076250/

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    1. Tony Smith, Editor, Reg Hardware (Written by Reg staff)
      Reply Icon

      Re: This was done over 10 years ago.

      yes, but did he ever get it to work? By the sounds of it, Bayliss was using the piezoelectric effect. I doubt you'll get 1W+ of power out of that.

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    2. Some Beggar
      Reply Icon
      FAIL

      @GNoMe

      Second paragraph:

      "Tapping into the kinetic energy inherent in, say, walking up the street and converting it into electrical energy is nothing new"

      But ... you know ... feel free to slap your forehead without actually reading the article.

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  9. b166er

    May I try and be the first to say

    about frikkin time.

    Please 'roll-out' to all high traffic carpet areas ASAP

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