Jump to content
The Inquirer-Home

Shoes power gadgets

You put your left foot in… your left foot out
Friday, 17 October 2008, 09:37

JAPANESE boffins have worked out a way to charge portable gadgets just by walking.

Walking is an ancient method of movement that was developed before the Segway and Smart Car and might be completely foreign to many geeks who buy portable gadgets.

However now the Telecoms giant NTT claim that there is now a good reason to revert to the older method of getting about because it IS developing shoes that generate electricity as you walk.

The shoes have a small generator attached to water-filled soles. Each step puts pressure on the soles, causing the water to spin a small turbine and generate power.

Apparently the shoes currently generate 1.2 watts of electricity which is enough to run an MP3 player forever as long as you keep walking.

The next plan is to improve the power-generating capacity to three watts, which is the amount of electricity needed to power a mobile phone.

The shoes will be available in 2010. µ

L'Inq
AP

Share this:

Comments
Just think...

Just think how much electricity can be produced during a marathon weekend in NY or Berlin. 
Say 3W with average 4h running time gives you 12Wh * 40000 competitors which gives 480kWh.. not bad - enought to power my flat for half a year :)

posted by : Mirek, 17 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Wondering

Won't they slush, and have thick soles? And be heavy?


Incidentally, the link provided does not work, page not found.

posted by : W.-, 17 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Advertisement
Subscribe to the INQ Newsletter
Sign-up for the INQBot weekly newsletter
Click here to sign up Existing user
Advertisement
INQ Poll

Christmas computer sales

Will you be buying a new computer this Christmas?