{Piezoelectricity is the ability of some materials (notably crystals and certain ceramics, including bone) to generate an electric potential in response to applied mechanical stress. This may take the form of a separation of electric charge across the crystal lattice. If the material is not short-circuited, the applied charge induces a voltage across the material.}
fr: Wikipedia

Applying this concept to the common slinky it should be possible to discharge this electrical potential through contact with each metal tread of a scale reduced escalator.
This voltage would trickle charge an alternate battery as the main battery runs the mini-escalator, and switch over as the main battery is depleted to become the new primary.

It's all downhill from there.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 26 2009

Seems too much like a perpetual motion machine. (Insert obligatory losses -more- than- power- generated hooha here).
-- Cedar Park, Jan 26 2009



random, halfbakery