Product Inspiration

For those of you who don’t already know, electric generators are basically motors which are run in reverse. When the shaft of the generator turns, permanent magnets pass near coils of wire, creating an electric charge.

This “new” generator uses a linear generator design to create power as you walk. The up and down motion of your gait makes a permanent magnet bounce up and down inside a cylinder, passing through rings of coiled wire and generating energy. We’ve seen this method in quite a few other recent products, such as the shake-to-charge flashlights, and the power generating backpack (more info here).

This particular development offers much higher efficiency than previous designs, and may bring this science to a point where its practical for the everyday gadgeteer. As these devices improve in power output and size, it may become a great way for consumers to beat that constantly-dead cell phone battery. For us developers, this is a great tool to keep in mind while working on self-powered mechanisms and systems as well.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19777/