Post by: Tecumseh on February 10, 2008, 12:30:34 PM
Interesting idea. I wonder what else they can think of.
Quote
Device on knee can produce electricity
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer | Posted Fri Feb 8, 2008 3:13pm PST
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WASHINGTON - Call it the ultimate power walk. Researchers have developed a device that generates electrical power from the swing of a walking person's knee. With each stride the leg accelerates and then decelerates, using energy both for moving and braking.
Max Donelan and colleagues reasoned that a device that helps the leg decelerate could generate power without requiring much additional energy from the person.
It's sort of like the way that some hybrid-electric cars produce electricity from braking.
With the device, a minute of walking can power a cell phone for 10 minutes, Donelan, of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, said in a telephone interview. Other potential uses include powering a portable GPS locator, a motorized prosthetic joint or implanted drug pumps.
Donelan and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Michigan report development of the new device in Friday's edition of the journal Science.
The first practical use for the generator is likely to be in producing power for artificial limbs, said Donelan, who with his co-authors has founded a company to develop the device commercially.
The generator weighs about 3.5 pounds so users do burn energy carrying it on their knee, but they don't notice whether it is switched on or off when walking on a treadmill, he said.
However, they miss it when it's removed because they get used to its extra braking action, he added.
With one generator on each knee, people walking on a treadmill were able to generate about 5 watts of power.
Lawrence C. Rome of the University of Pennsylvania called the development "extremely clever."
Other people have thought of rotational devices around joints, Rome said, "but what's really clever is these guys only turn on resistance when person trying to brake, so it helps you."
Rome, who was not part of the research team, previously developed a backpack that generates electricity from the movement of the person carrying it.
The backpack was comfortable so it was an easy sell, he said. Whether the new knee generator is practical will depend on it being comfortable so people will want to wear it, he said in a telephone interview.
Arthur Kuo, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the report, called the device "a cocktail-napkin idea."
"There is power to be harvested from various places in the body, and you can use that to generate electricity. The knee is probably the best place," Kuo said in a statement. "During walking, you dissipate energy in various places, when your foot hits the ground, for example. You have to make up for this by performing work with your muscles. ... We believe that when you're slowing down the knee at the end of swinging the leg, most of that energy normally is just wasted."
The prototype is bulky, he said, but the energy generation part itself has very little effect on the wearer.
"We hope to improve the device so that it is easier to carry, and to retain the energy-harvesting capabilities," he said.
The research was funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Canadian Institute of Health Research.
___
On the Net:
Science: http://www.sciencemag.org
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer | Posted Fri Feb 8, 2008 3:13pm PST
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WASHINGTON - Call it the ultimate power walk. Researchers have developed a device that generates electrical power from the swing of a walking person's knee. With each stride the leg accelerates and then decelerates, using energy both for moving and braking.
Max Donelan and colleagues reasoned that a device that helps the leg decelerate could generate power without requiring much additional energy from the person.
It's sort of like the way that some hybrid-electric cars produce electricity from braking.
With the device, a minute of walking can power a cell phone for 10 minutes, Donelan, of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, said in a telephone interview. Other potential uses include powering a portable GPS locator, a motorized prosthetic joint or implanted drug pumps.
Donelan and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Michigan report development of the new device in Friday's edition of the journal Science.
The first practical use for the generator is likely to be in producing power for artificial limbs, said Donelan, who with his co-authors has founded a company to develop the device commercially.
The generator weighs about 3.5 pounds so users do burn energy carrying it on their knee, but they don't notice whether it is switched on or off when walking on a treadmill, he said.
However, they miss it when it's removed because they get used to its extra braking action, he added.
With one generator on each knee, people walking on a treadmill were able to generate about 5 watts of power.
Lawrence C. Rome of the University of Pennsylvania called the development "extremely clever."
Other people have thought of rotational devices around joints, Rome said, "but what's really clever is these guys only turn on resistance when person trying to brake, so it helps you."
Rome, who was not part of the research team, previously developed a backpack that generates electricity from the movement of the person carrying it.
The backpack was comfortable so it was an easy sell, he said. Whether the new knee generator is practical will depend on it being comfortable so people will want to wear it, he said in a telephone interview.
Arthur Kuo, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the report, called the device "a cocktail-napkin idea."
"There is power to be harvested from various places in the body, and you can use that to generate electricity. The knee is probably the best place," Kuo said in a statement. "During walking, you dissipate energy in various places, when your foot hits the ground, for example. You have to make up for this by performing work with your muscles. ... We believe that when you're slowing down the knee at the end of swinging the leg, most of that energy normally is just wasted."
The prototype is bulky, he said, but the energy generation part itself has very little effect on the wearer.
"We hope to improve the device so that it is easier to carry, and to retain the energy-harvesting capabilities," he said.
The research was funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Canadian Institute of Health Research.
___
On the Net:
Science: http://www.sciencemag.org
Post by: Fly320s on February 10, 2008, 02:28:28 PM
Post by: lupinus on February 10, 2008, 03:28:03 PM
Could even make an artificial heart viable.
Post by: Tecumseh on February 10, 2008, 03:48:42 PM
Post by: seeker_two on February 10, 2008, 05:09:57 PM
Sweet, the uses for this could be anything and everything.
Could even make an artificial heart viable.
Could even make an artificial heart viable.
..or smoother-working artificial limbs.....
Post by: S. Williamson on February 10, 2008, 05:25:20 PM
This thing would've made the biocells obsolete! Especially in the more annoying levels where you have to keep running back and forth...
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
Post by: Tecumseh on February 10, 2008, 05:29:17 PM
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
With gas prices as high as they are, they should start.I am sure the military loves this idea. It would really help them out in regards to some of their equipment such as radios or laptops. It would be nice to see how they develop this into a practical technology.
Post by: crt360 on February 10, 2008, 05:56:03 PM
Post by: Perd Hapley on February 10, 2008, 09:01:39 PM
Post by: mtnbkr on February 11, 2008, 05:02:06 AM
Haven't we long had wristwatches that were powered by the movement of the arm? How is this different or better?
Traditionally, those merely kept the spring wound (I'm wearing one of those right now). I think Seiko or Citizen makes one that turns a mini-dynamo that charges a battery in order to run a quartz action. That would be closer to what the article describes. The difference is the amount of electricity produced.
Chris
Post by: grislyatoms on February 11, 2008, 06:08:30 AM
Sweet, the uses for this could be anything and everything.
Could even make an artificial heart viable.
Could even make an artificial heart viable.
"Gangway, I need to run around to recharge my heart battery!"
Post by: roo_ster on February 11, 2008, 06:11:58 AM
They'll need to get it an order of magnitude lighter to be useful in a .mil setting.
Post by: Tallpine on February 11, 2008, 06:30:29 AM
Quote
With one generator on each knee, people walking on a treadmill were able to generate about 5 watts of power.
Energy crisis solved
We can just put all the welfare folks to work generating power
Post by: Perd Hapley on February 11, 2008, 07:14:05 AM
Post by: The Viking on February 11, 2008, 07:16:27 AM
Anybody else ever play Deus Ex?
This thing would've made the biocells obsolete! Especially in the more annoying levels where you have to keep running back and forth...
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
I loved Deus Ex. The second game was the most worthless POS ever released though. But the first...oh my. Got to love cyberpunk This thing would've made the biocells obsolete! Especially in the more annoying levels where you have to keep running back and forth...
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
.Post by: The Viking on February 11, 2008, 07:19:01 AM
Well, Tallpine, you'd have to keep them moving. What's your proposal?
Easy as that
Post by: Werewolf on February 11, 2008, 07:32:05 AM
Well, Tallpine, you'd have to keep them moving. What's your proposal?
Flashing Red/White/Blue lights with sirens?
Post by: Tallpine on February 11, 2008, 09:09:36 AM
Quote
Well, Tallpine, you'd have to keep them moving. What's your proposal?
Stun guns, or maybe cattle prods
Post by: James Fitzer on February 11, 2008, 09:17:40 AM
A little cord from that to a backpack. Said backpack maybe has some kind of cooler for drinks and food.
Or, like you said, military applications.
VERY neat link. Thanks
Post by: Phyphor on February 11, 2008, 05:28:13 PM
Anybody else ever play Deus Ex?
This thing would've made the biocells obsolete! Especially in the more annoying levels where you have to keep running back and forth...
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
I loved Deus Ex. The second game was the most worthless POS ever released though. But the first...oh my. Got to love cyberpunk This thing would've made the biocells obsolete! Especially in the more annoying levels where you have to keep running back and forth...
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
.Yea, that game was made of pure win. The multiplayer mostly sucked, but the single player game still draws me back to try different things...there's so many different dialog options....
Post by: Strings on February 11, 2008, 08:55:16 PM
The bulk isn't THAT bad: remember, they're just testing the idea out. They know it needs refinement. Reminds me of something though...
Oh, yeah! The stillsuits in Dune, where the cycling pump was built into the boots (the heels, IIRC)...
Post by: S. Williamson on February 12, 2008, 01:05:52 AM
Post by: Tecumseh on February 12, 2008, 01:50:44 AM
Only problem with stillsuits is, how're you gonna get rid of the... well, dehydrated urine and feces? Much less the smell...
Sometimes you got to smell like *expletive deleted*it to survive.
Post by: Scout26 on February 12, 2008, 03:28:01 AM
Quote
Quote
Quote
We can just put all the welfare folks to work generating power
Well, Tallpine, you'd have to keep them moving. What's your proposal?
Stun guns, or maybe cattle prods
Once the battery reserve drops below a certain level, the zapping begins. You can either bring the power level back up or endure until the battery (or you) dies.
Post by: Manedwolf on February 12, 2008, 05:42:25 AM
Anybody else ever play Deus Ex?
This thing would've made the biocells obsolete! Especially in the more annoying levels where you have to keep running back and forth...
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
I loved Deus Ex. The second game was the most worthless POS ever released though. But the first...oh my. Got to love cyberpunk This thing would've made the biocells obsolete! Especially in the more annoying levels where you have to keep running back and forth...
One problem, though. Americans don't really walk anywhere anymore...
.Yea, that game was made of pure win. The multiplayer mostly sucked, but the single player game still draws me back to try different things...there's so many different dialog options....
The console version's endings were way better.
Especially the "collapse" ending. It was downright frightening.
An orbital day-nightline view of Earth as something big explodes on the west coast, and then the cities start going dark grid by grid, with staticy voices yelling about "The networks are going black! It's all going down!" And then continuing all the way to the east coast, across the Atlantic, Europe, Asia, all of it. And then just a dark planet, and the "screen" blinks out.
Brrr.
The second game had some gorgeous setpieces, like the Cairo arcology, (I WANT that office in the Tarsus Cairo school!) but the voice-acting, AI and plot were atrocious. So were the bugs.
Post by: ilbob on February 12, 2008, 05:49:32 AM
now for cell phones and ipods and other devices that take very little power to operate, it might be practical.
Post by: mtnbkr on February 12, 2008, 05:59:13 AM
Quote
Armstrong sure can crank. During the final hour of a seven-hour stage of the Tour, he can pedal at an average of 400 watts. (Track racers have pushed it over 2,000 watts for a few seconds. The average cyclist can barely light a 100-watt lamp.)
Chris