Most of us know that kinetic energy is formed whenever we move around. Research suggests that in the near future we will be able to harness that power and then use it to power appliances. The stored kinetic energy will be converted into electricity and then used for several applications. In fact, kinetic energy is being used in this way in small applications. For example, the city of Tokyo has installed special panels in Burger King stores so that energy from passing cars can be harnessed.
Tokyo took a step further recently by adding special type of tiles in its metro stations.
The tiles harness the power from thousands of walkers to create electricity which is then used to power the station’s lights. The station has notice boards informing the passers by of the tiles so that more and more people are encouraged to walk on the tiles. Kinetic energy hence holds the key for sustaining the environment in the future as it is non polluting.
In the US, the army has been harnessing power from special backpacks that harness power from the soldiers’ movements.
The gathered energy can then be used by the soldiers to power small lights and charge their phones. Hence the soldiers have to carry less equipment to power sources and it eliminates the need to carry battery packs. Some companies have come out with cell phones that can recharge themselves with the help of kinetic energy.
The cell phone can be worn around the neck, wrist or the legs.
Science is also working on harnessing energy from a woman’s breast. Plans are to design a bra with small wires installed on the frame work. The bra will harness power from the motion of the breasts and create enough power to charge a cell phone or to power small devices such as iPod. Since the average person walks for several miles everyday, the whole purpose is to capture and harness the kinetic energy thereby reducing the dependence on conventional energy sources.