Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

"Crowd Farm" to Collect Energy?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the kriss-kross-to-make-comeback dept.

Cain writes to mention that a couple of MIT students would like to harness the mechanical power of large groups of people. "A Crowd Farm in Boston's South Station railway terminal would work like this: A responsive sub-flooring system made up of blocks that depress slightly under the force of human steps would be installed beneath the station's main lobby. The slippage of the blocks against one another as people walked would generate power through the principle of the dynamo, a device that converts the energy of motion into that of an electric current."

10 of 357 comments (clear)

  1. The people power the city huh? by Kranfer · · Score: 5, Funny

    I love this! If they install something like this on the streets around me I am going to send the electric company a bill for my time to generate their power ... what am I a giant hamster to them?!

    --
    -- Josh
    "Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me!" - Pete Conrad
    1. Re:The people power the city huh? by 'nother+poster · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes. Now eat your pellets and back on the giant wheel.

  2. Re:A better idea by 'nother+poster · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because you only go through the turnstiles once, but you take thousands of steps through the station.

  3. a way to harness true limitless energy by NavyNasa · · Score: 5, Funny

    3 to 4 year olds.
    We could power a small coutry if we installed these in pre-schools.

    --
    Space Cadet
  4. Yet another silly energy article by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Let's do the math:
    • Let's say we can grab say one-tenth of a walker's energy without them caring.
    • Walking takes about 1/20th of a horsepower.
    • So we're getting 1/200th of a horsepower from each person.
    • If we assume there's 1000 people walking by, that's two horsepower.
    • About 1500 watts.
    • That's about ten cents an hour. Given the variability of traffic, maybe a dollar a day.
    • Assuming the mechanism costs a measly $100,000, at a dollar a day you can't even pay the interest on the loan.
    • PLus it probably needs more than $1 a day of maintenance.
    • Not a good idea.
    1. Re:Yet another silly energy article by inKubus · · Score: 5, Funny

      I had a great idea like this once. I called it the "Jump to Conclusions Mat".

      --
      Cool! Amazing Toys.
  5. Re:If the tiles sink... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You had me at sandwich.

  6. Re:A better idea by reddburn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Some company in denmark is working on dance clubs that would work in a similar fashion (lights and volume powered by the activity on the dance floor). They debuted a working prototype of the floor (10 meters square) at the Live Earth concert. I just heard about it, but it sounds similar: http://www.sustainabledanceclub.com/

    --
    "Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand" - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
  7. Re:A better idea by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 5, Funny

    And, more importantly, because, as Confucius say:

    Man who go through turnstile sideways, is going to Bangkok.

    --
    Apology to Ubuntu forum.
  8. Re:house music all night long by MiniMike · · Score: 5, Funny

    Forget dance clubs- put these in child daycares and you could probably close half the power plants...