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When I was growing up my mom had a watch that would "wind itself." Basically by putting it on your wrist and going about your daily activities, it would keep the spring wound up as random movements sometimes occured in the direction to wind the spring. I propose something like that (based on the same
technology or else on magnets and wire to go straight to electricity) to power little lights or to heat the clothing.
Imagine how cool it would be to be dancing and the more you danced, the more of a light show you put on. Or imagine being able to find your way in the dark from the energy that you built up over the day or else to heat your clothing when it's cold. This could be combined with the lumitex fiber optic clothing to recharge the clothing as you wore it.
My kids now have little shoes that light up when they walk. I tore them apart to discover that they had a battery in them that powered them. They could be powered by the act of walking itself (which is basically where the idea came from of course.)
Peltier clothing
http://www.halfbake.../Peltier_20clothing
One solution. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
People power
http://www.halfbake...idea/People_20power
And another. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
Piezo shoes
http://www.halfbake.../idea/Piezo_20shoes
And another. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
People Power Pumps
http://www.halfbake...ple_20Power_20Pumps
And another. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
Don't forget the babies
http://www.halfbake.../idea/Baby_20Power!
[mrthingy, Oct 04 2004]
Colour Changing Clothes
ttp://www.halfbaker...0Changing_20Clothes
Clothes that change colors. [troyrock, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]
Lumitex site
http://www.lumitex.com/applications.html
They make the leaky fiber optic woven clothing. [troyrock, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]
Guardian news story
http://www.guardian...jun/19/energy.clubs
[hippo, Jun 19 2008]
Well, it won't run your Segway..
http://news.bbc.co....hnology/7241040.stm
[coprocephalous, Jun 19 2008]
New Fiber Nanogenerators Could Lead to Electric Clothing
http://www.scienced...02/100212141246.htm
Nano-sized generators have "piezoelectric" properties that allow them to convert into electricity the energy created through mechanical stress, stretches and twists. [Dub, Feb 14 2010]
[link]
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//My kids now have little shoes that light up when they walk. I tore them apart to discover that they had a battery in them that powered them.//
Well I suppose you could always have more.
Welcome. |
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(MFD retracted based on comments below). |
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I believe this is different than the links [phoenix] added. Here's why: 1) It's completely self contained - you don't have to convince the power company to accept energy from exercise bikes at bus stops, you don't have to convince someone else to pony up the cash for the exercise bikes that will likely be vandalized, you don't have to increase the cost of sidewalks by 500% (at least) to install magnets and wiring in them and convince the shoe makers of the world that they should put magnets in the soles.
It's something one company could make for one individual per city that would be unique and cool enough for that one person to use. 2) It's up you you what you want to do with the energy (actually up to the manufacturer but you are buying it so the decision of what to buy is yours.) They could be used for making a groovy light show of your clothing, powering a heater, powering a walkman (or recharging batteries for a walkman, I don't think you could harvest enough to completely power one), or almost anything else that requires power. You don't depend on an altruistic society that "wants" to help out with some energy crisis, it's just something you can do for yourself, for fun. 3) You don't have to work for the power. The idea is that the power comes basically free because of your body's natural movements. You don't have to take time out to sit on an exercise bike/stair stepper, etc. It's something like serendipity when it happens. |
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I did do a search for this type of item before doing the write-up and wrote it because I didn't find what I wanted. The idea isn't simply "take power from the movement of people," it's about making it more or less "free" to the person and wearable. All of the links that [phoenix] points out are for things that are different enough that I believe this one should be left (in hopes that someone makes it because I would buy it!) |
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I agree. I think the "light up more the more you dance" part makes it worth keeping. |
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Yeah, when I was growing up my brother had a self winding watch like you describe [troyrock]. But my brother was so lazy [how lazy was he?] that I had to wear it one hour a day just to keep it wound up. ;-) |
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Er, um, the first link I posted is to a "self-contained" power source. |
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What does "This could be combined with the luminex fiber optic clothing to recharge the clothing as you wore it." mean? |
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Lumitex (sorry about the typo) makes clothing with "leaky" fiber optics woven into the fabric so that they glow. They require a battery but maybe some of the energy from movement could be harvested to supplement that. |
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