Nanopower Shoes Generate 20 Watts of Electricity While Walking

A group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin Madison is developing a shoe that lets you charge your iPad or power a low-power computer while you walk. The technology, which they named “Instep Nanopower,” is able to generate as much as 20W through a process known as “reverse electrowetting.”

In theory, our body releases as much as 300W of power through heat alone, which their technology has able to siphon even just a bit. The shoes contain a special substrate filled with tiny metal microdroplets. Whenever your foot presses down on it, the droplets are then forced through the substrate thus generating electricity. The generated energy can either be stored for later use or drawn immediately to power a device.

Of course, power stops if you stop walking, but at least you get to burn hundreds of calories in the process. Another issue being pointed out is whether Instep Nanopower could add significant weight on the shoes.

There are similar technologies such as piezoelectrics that emits energy from movement, but it can only generate a few milliwatts of power–enough to light an LED.

The research for Instep Nanopower technology is currently being funded by private investors and public companies, including United States National Science Foundation and European Research Council.

Source: UW Madison, via Dvice and TechCrunch

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