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Knee Brace Generates Electricity From Walking

Posted by Soulskill on from the runs-on-walks dept.

ktulus cry brings news of a device that can power portable gadgets, prosthetic joints, and other mobile appliances by harvesting energy generated by walking. Researchers are working on making the device — still a moderately cumbersome 3.5 pounds — smaller while maintaining its energy harvesting capacity. CNet has a write-up with more pictures and a diagram of the device. "In the mode in which the brace is only activated while the knee is braking, the subjects required less than one watt of extra metabolic power for each watt of electricity they generated. A typical hand-crank generator, for comparison, takes an average of 6.4 watts of metabolic power to generate one watt of electricity because of inefficiencies of muscles and generators. A lighter version would be helpful to hikers or soldiers who don't have easy access to electricity. And the scientists say similar mechanisms could be built into prosthetic knees other implantable devices such as pacemakers or neurotransmitters that today require a battery, and periodic surgery to replace that battery."

13 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. Does it double its output ... by MPAB · · Score: 3, Funny

    by walking under heavy rain?

    1. Re:Does it double its output ... by mordenkhai · · Score: 4, Funny

      Only if its Chocolate Rain.

  2. Lots of applications ... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 3, Funny

    A lighter version would be helpful to hikers or soldiers who don't have easy access to electricity.

    Sergeant: Private!

    Private: Sir!

    Seargeant: Walk faster! We're trying to reach HQ.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  3. Well... by vertinox · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thats neat. But wouldn't it be more efficient for us slashdotters if it was put on our arms... Depending on which one is using the mouse... Or... Umm... The one not holding the lotion bottle?

    --
    "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
    -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  4. In other news: by imsabbel · · Score: 3, Funny

    Knee Brace makes walking harder - Segway sees potential market opening

    --
    HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
  5. Re:less than one watt for one watt? by maxwell+demon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Care to explain how this statement, as it stands, does not conflict with the 2nd law of Thermodynamics?

    That's simple: They violate the first law of thermodynamics, not the second one.
    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  6. These stories are getting old. by moseman · · Score: 3, Funny

    When someone comes up with one that can convert talking into usable energy, let me know. I have several women in my office that could generate enough power to light a small country!

    --
    Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to think "profiling is worse than the slaughter of innocent people..."
  7. At long last by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    A use for Heather Mills!

    Anybody got a whip?

  8. Re:Considering the the potential energy stores in. by g0dsp33d · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wonder how long until they pair this with a water tight hydration recycling suit and we chase worms in the desert?

    --
    lol: You see no door there!
  9. There's an abundant source of power here by thewils · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you could develop a smaller one that fits over a beer-drinker's elbow.

    Or how about a micro one that works off a woman's jaw muscles? No, wait, that means their cellphone batteries would never quit. Yikes!

    --
    Once I was a four stone apology. Now I am two separate gorillas.
  10. Re:You can get hurt by something like that by Cousin+Scuzzy · · Score: 2, Funny

    As a guy who has had constant pain in his knees for the past 7 years, I am warning you that something like that may permanently damage your knee joint by simply forcing a minuscule change to the way your knee rotates while walking. The article states that the brace is activated only while the knee is breaking. Of course it's going to be painful if your knee is breaking. Duh...

    What's that? Oh, braking...

    Never mind.
  11. Re:Exercise Power Plants by snl2587 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now, if we could find an efficient way to extract the extra heat produced during exercise from the human body...

    I have an idea: we could put the humans in a little shell that captures their heat energy as they go about their lives. Come to think of it, it would make more sense if they were sedentary....and we could feed them through tubes....and make them think they were living free....oh, nevermind.

  12. So... That leaves the question... by dieKatze88 · · Score: 2, Funny

    What happens when you play DDR while wearing it?