Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'

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Midnight Jog Shoes

Impact Powered Lighting

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When I go for a midnight jog, I can't run too fast or I might trip on a hard-to-see crack/rock/whatever. I want shoes that absorb impact pneumatically and use that energy to power one or more LEDs to illuminate the sidewalk.

The air under the shoe gets compressed when the shoe hits the ground. The air drives a magnetic piston through coils; a spring or compressed air on the other side moves it back before the next impact.

—	bdh, Jul 22 2005

This has been suggested before but as far as I know, it has not been baked yet. http://66.102.7.104...ight+shoes%22&hl=en
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 22 2005]

Talk to this guy - try his electric shoes http://www.comedian...revor%20bayliss.htm
[AbsintheWithoutLeave, Jul 22 2005]

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I smell piezo, and fish.

—	neilp, Jul 22 2005

It's not that long...try re-reading it. No piezo. Too little energy.

—	bdh, Jul 22 2005

The angle of the light from shoes might be too low to be useful. Have you tried this with battery-powered lights? Do you mean for the lights to flash on when the shoe hits the ground? Or to stay on all the time? Either one is going to look strange and illuminate oddly.

Was the word "pneumatically" intended as a hint to your design? I have trouble getting from air to LEDs without turbines. If there is too little energy for piezo, with few moving parts, you must have an exceptionally efficient design in mind.

When the questions are longer than the "idea", something is wrong somewhere. I should have just fish-boned this wish and got on with my life.

—	baconbrain, Jul 22 2005

Well bacon, I don't know in advance what questions there would be. I edited the idea now. Don't be so cruel with the bones.

—	bdh, Jul 22 2005

Good idea. My son always gets LED shoes (especially in the winter when it's dark). The batteries never last the season though - self-charging would be better. Shoes only last about 6-12 months though, so it would have to be cheap and disposable, though I suspect you are correct about piezo not providing . How's about a bar magnet loose inside a coil? As you run, the magnet will slide back and forth inducing a small current in the coil - use that to top up the battery.

—	wagster, Jul 22 2005

Bayless was featured in Wired at least three years ago. (Rummage rummage) actually it was five.

—	waugsqueke, Jul 22 2005

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