Your Footstep Can Generate Electricity

Move over solar energy! Researchers have developed a novel, inexpensive and simple method that can convert footsteps into usable electricity. The method developed by researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US puts to good use a common waste material: wood pulp. The pulp, which is already a common component of flooring, is partly made of cellulose nanofibres – tiny fibers that, when chemically treated, produce an electrical charge when they come into contact with untreated nanofibers. When the nanofibres are embedded within flooring, they are able to produce electricity that can be harnessed to power lights or charge batteries. Because weed pulp is a cheap, abundant and renewable waste product of several industries, flooring that incorporated the new technology could be as affordable as conventional materials. Existing materials for harnessing footstep energy are costly, non recyclable and impractical.