Power walking redefined

By Christopher Forestieri

Traveling through the Reagan National airport this weekend, I noticed a lot of energy was being created by the footsteps of hurried passengers. At the same time a lot of energy was being used by lights and escalators.

Unfortunately, there was no connection between the two. It occurred to me that, were there a way to bridge the gap, a lot of non-renewable power could be saved.

With my ticket costing double that of last year’s flight, it is in everyone’s best interest to save as much as possible by harnessing wasted energy and lowering the airport’s power bill.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that British engineers have developed generators that can be placed underground to harness the energy produced by footsteps. According to a recent study, “34,000 commuters in London’s Victoria Underground station are capable of powering 6,500 light bulbs every hour.”

The generators work like those of a dam. Compression pads installed in the floor are depressed by foot traffic causing fluid to be pushed through turbines. The energy harnessed by the turbines can be stored in batteries and used.

An article on gizmag.com noted that “the first large-scale application of the technology could be to collect energy from visitors walking up and down the stairs to the Spinnaker Tower viewing platform in Portsmouth, UK.”

Assuming that that the installation of this technology would be cost effective, we could witness a revolution in terms of the way we think about renewable energy. Imagine supermarkets, stadiums, parks and even city streets utilizing the power of foot traffic.

And this technology can be utilized on a smaller scale as well. The engineers working on the Spinnaker Tower plan are looking into shoes fitted with mini generators, capable of powering portable electronic devises. The idea has gone as far as “ a bra that could harness the untapped power of breast motion” and power an Ipod, according to a recent article on Slate.com.

While these developments in energy production are unorthodox, they represent the type of thinking that is key to solving the energy problem. Not only do they find an alternative to carbon based fuel, but they go beyond the notion of “fuel” and instead utilize clean, renewable energy that is wasted everyday.

Hopefully in a few years, when I take my next flight, my underwear will power my Ipod, my Nikes will power my laptop and my footsteps will power the escalator. Who knows, maybe something we haven’t even thought of will power the 727.

photo courtesy of Guim.co.uk