The potential to generate energy is hidden in many places, from skyscrapers to ski-slopes. But new research is showing that a potent source of energy is hiding right beneath our noses, or feet to be more specific.
Some of the first thinking on the subject came from London-based, architecture consultancy, The Facility. The idea began over a decade ago when the group came up with a method of dampening the noisy rattle of parts of London's aging railways, while harnessing the energy that created the noise to generate electricity. The initial idea eventually spawned a floor which can produce energy from the daily stamping of pedestrians. They explored a few different paths, including embedding a series of tiny tubes beneath a rubbery floor, similar to that in a children's playground. When walked over, liquid in the tubes would shift and be forced through turbines, which would generate the power. Although the juice harvested from this system would be relatively small, in areas of high foot-traffic like subway stations it could be used to power low-energy devices like displays, ticket machines and turnstiles.
