If you think shoes are only limited to being showcased as an accessory, think twice! The shoes that you wear can also act as an energy producing device. The bioengineers at the University of Auckland have incepted an innovative concept of energy generating clothing and shoes. The bioengineers, with the concept of a lightweight energy generating rubber, have conveniently done away with the idea of heavy weight generators. The rubber energy generator works on the principle of artificial muscle technology and is said to generate a watt of power when slid inside a shoe.
Thomas Mckay, a Ph.D. student researching on soft generator, seeks to explain about the artificial muscle technology here. It can be described as a stretchable material. When deformed, this material is devised to produce energy. The feature that distinguishes artificial muscle from traditional piezo-electric generators is that the former is designed to work with ‘large, slow motions’.
On the other hand, the latter requires fast and delicate movements to work. The large slow motions that the artificial muscle requires, can be easily produced with daily activities. Another benefit of employing artificial muscles as energy generators is that they do not require any external circuit to get them to function.
McKay is known to develop a high powered model of an artificial muscle. It measures four inches in width and can generate up to 10 mill
watts of power. Fitted in a Perspex frame, the design incorporates rubber membranes and carbon grease. The design qualified as highly beneficial not only for the amount of power it generated for its given size but also for the fact that its size allowed for slipping it inside a shoe or conveniently folding it up in a garment. To add to the platter of benefits, the design was priced at a mere $4.
Via: Ecouterre
