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Science 9 September 2005:
Vol. 309. no. 5741, pp. 1725 - 1728
DOI: 10.1126/science.1111063
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Reports

Generating Electricity While Walking with Loads

Lawrence C. Rome,1,2* Louis Flynn,1 Evan M. Goldman,1 Taeseung D. Yoo1

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.

1 Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
2 Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lrome{at}sas.upenn.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Biomechanical Energy Harvesting: Generating Electricity During Walking with Minimal User Effort.
J. M. Donelan, Q. Li, V. Naing, J. A. Hoffer, D. J. Weber, and A. D. Kuo (2008)
Science 319, 807-810
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The up and down bobbing of human walking: a compromise between muscle work and efficiency.
F. Massaad, T. M. Lejeune, and C. Detrembleur (2007)
J. Physiol. 582, 789-799
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)