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Energy-Generating Floors To Power Subway Displays In Tokyo

Posted by timothy on from the tap-your-foot-to-the-octopus-porn dept.

Jason Sahler writes "When the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) decided to invest in alternative energy sources, it only had to look to its users for the perfect source of energy. Recently the company decided to update their Tokyo Station with a revolutionary new piezoelectric energy generating floor. The system will harvest the kinetic energy generated by crowds to power ticket gates and display systems."

1 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Theft of services by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think this is a pretty cool idea. I can imagine a gym being a great place to do something like this: people go there to "waste" energy (tread-mills, various exercise machines). If they can set up their machines to basically be human powered generators, set resistance based on power output, etc, they might be able to convince people they are helping save the environment. Or at least cut down their electricity costs a bit.

    "You just burned 150 calories and generated X amount of electrical energy" OR "Please maintain a speed of above 5 miles per hour or the tv will lose power and shut off"