'People power' captured
The energy-generating knee brace
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Friday, 08, Feb 2008 02:57
A device similar to a knee brace has been developed that captures energy from the moving leg and converts it into electricity.
Researchers say the device could generate enough electricity to operate a portable GPS locator, a mobile phone or a motorised prosthetic joint.
Writing in the journal Science, the researchers say the mechanism works in a similar way to how regenerative braking charges a battery in some hybrid vehicles.
They tested the device on six men walking at a leisurely pace on a treadmill and monitored their oxygen use and carbon dioxide production to learn how much energy it takes to work the devices.
"We've demonstrated proof of concept," said Arthur Kuo from the University of Michigan.
"The prototype device is bulky and heavy, and it does affect the wearer just to carry. But the energy generation part itself has very little effect on the wearer, whether it is turned on or not.
"We hope to improve the device so that it is easier to carry, and to retain the energy-harvesting capabilities."
Maxwell Donelan of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia added that the 'people power' strategy could prove beneficial in remote regions for powering computers without electricity.