Generating electricity while walking with loads.

Lawrence C Rome; Louis Flynn; Evan M Goldman; Taeseung D Yoo

doi:10.1126/science.1111063

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Generating electricity while walking with loads.

Lawrence C Rome·Louis Flynn·Evan M Goldman·Taeseung D Yoo

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Abstract

We have developed the suspended-load backpack, which converts mechanical energy from the vertical movement of carried loads (weighing 20 to 38 kilograms) to electricity during normal walking [generating up to 7.4 watts, or a 300-fold increase over previous shoe devices (20 milliwatts)]. Unexpectedly, little extra metabolic energy (as compared to that expended carrying a rigid backpack) is required during electricity generation. This is probably due to a compensatory change in gait or loading regime, which reduces the metabolic power required for walking. This electricity generation can help give field scientists, explorers, and disaster-relief workers freedom from the heavy weight of replacement batteries and thereby extend their ability to operate in remote areas.

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Bioelectric Energy Sources Biomechanical Phenomena Carbon Dioxide Electricity Energy Metabolism Gait Humans Male Oxygen Consumption Walking Weight-Bearing Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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Lawrence C Rome, Louis Flynn, Evan M Goldman, Taeseung D Yoo. 2005-09-09. Generating electricity while walking with loads.. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1111063

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