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Directory:Human-Powered

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Technologies and concepts for generating usable energy from human activity.

For years I've been waiting for simple exercise-machine-based energy generators. With all the gyms in this country and all the fitness emphasis and machinery, why can't we marry energy production with fitness equipment? It seems a natural fit! - Kevin M. Trammel

Contents

Overview

  • The mechanics of foot travel - Computer analysis that allows simulation of infinite two-legged locomotions has shown our favored modes of bi-pedal travel use the least amount of energy. (EurekAlert; Sept. 15, 2005)

Technologies

Mind Power

  • Wadsworth Brain-Computer Interface - In France, Peter Brunner and his associates demonstrated a brain computer interface (BCI) that translates thought to text on a computer screen. (How Stuff Works; June 12, 2006)

Pedal-Power

  • MINI Rick Shaw does rounds in Beijing - To celebrate the MINI Clubman's jump into the PRC, Beijing MINI came up with an extremely novel idea on how to promote their new model and grab some headlines when pretty much most of the media is dedicated to the Oylmpics. (China Times; August 8, 2008)
  • Bikes Power Computers - The non-profit company, Inveneo, is offering inexpensive ways to install and power networks in remote third world areas. Solar and wind systems are backed up by pedal power. (VOA News; Aug. 9, 2006)
  • Pedal Powered Generator - DIY Plans - Every morning, I pedal to generate electricity. The Pedal Generator I ride charges batteries, that run an inverter, that produces 110v AC, that powers LED lights, the monitor on my computer, and many other small battery-powered things. It is the most inspiring workout you can imagine. (David Butcher)
  • Pedal-Powered Generator - David Butcher's bike-like generator might not be the most feasible paradigm, but it works. 400-Watt generator can run a water pump, TV, box fan, air compressor, grinder, vacuum cleaner. General-purpose power source at your pedal-tips.
  • Convergence Tech - The Pedal-a-Watt stationary bike power generator is an easy to build stand that will accept any bicycle, creates 150 to 200 watts at 12 to 20 volts DC, easily disengages for immediate road use and folds for transport.
  • Windstream Power - Human power generators are based on transforming movement of the human body into electricity. The Human Power Generator MkIII and the Bike Power generator are the solution to energy education in the classroom, failsafe backup power, and productive exercise. Check out the Portable Power Pack and make your HPG even more useful!
  • Foot-Powered Generator Patented - Great Systems, Inc.'s Energy Generation and Storage System (US Patent 7,009,350) can be used indoors, generating up to 1000 Watts using body kinetics, or leg muscle power (or other inputs), to charge a unique spring system that slowly unwinds and spins a high efficiency generator. (eMediaWire; Mar. 9, 2006)
  • Body Rite - HyperBike uses legs, torso, arms and body weight for propulsion, while large wheels make it stable and safe, but fast. The gearing will produce speeds upwards of 50 mph and it will move effectively on all grades. Its center of gravity is below the wheels’ spinning axes, and the lightweight roll cage frame and wheels make it maneuverable and easy to get started.
  • Flycycle: human-powered aircraft test pending - Canadian project objective is to build a practical human-powered aircraft. Their first prototype is nearing completion; testing is pending. Presently a do-it-yourself project, complete with instructions.
  • Pumpabike - Human-powered hydrofoil that can travel up to 18 mph on water captures the essense of portability, exercise, sport and fun. The hydrofoil is used for lift and thrust via an oscillating motion produced while the rider bounces up and down. Unlike most watersports, it has the ability to be used in a wide variety of water conditions.
  • Aquaskipper: Human Powered Flying on Water - Marketplace-available gadget allows you to have fun and exercise on the water without any wind. The Aquaskipper can be purchased at inventist new ($495.95) or refurbished ($349.95) for any extreme sportists who want to give it a go. (TreeHugger; Feb. 11, 2007)
  • Street-Legal Human-Powered Car Video - The HumanCar(.com) operates with four people working in concert like an engine. The two front people 'body-steer' to turn, like a ski or board. Will be available for sale very soon. (CoolFuelTV/Google Video; Dec. 7, 2006)
  • Rhoades Car - 4 wheel bikes that drive like a car! Easier to pedal than a regular bike. The Rhoades Car can be geared down much lower than a regular bike while climbing hills, without the worry of maintaining balance. Independent freewheels let the bike coast without the pedals turning. On 2 seat models, either person can pedal independently of the other person! Comfort unlike any bike you have ever ridden. It's legal to drive on any road that an ordinary bike travels.
  • Cyclean - The pedal powered washing machine.
  • Kronosport - This human/electric powered TAXI can travel up to 12 mph with a range of 25 miles and recharges in 5 to 6 hours. It carries two passengers and sports a mini-trunk for packages or groceries and is also available in a VAN or TRUK model.
  • Palm Imports - 2 & 4 Person Bicycle available as 2 or 4 person QUAD roadster, or 2,4 or 6 person SURRY with canopy top. Electric assist available on Surries and 49cc gas engine kit available on Roadsters. Features include rack and pinion steering, hydraulic disc brakes ( Roadster models) Marine grade vinyl, Shimano type high grade components.

Step Action

  • Strike-Heel Generation - This directory is dedicated to piezoelectric and heel-strike generation systems for generating power from "good vibrations". (PESWiki; June 20, 2008)
  • Freeplay Energy - Self-Sufficient products give you freedom from traditional power sources, combining wind-up and rechargeable power into portable radios, flashlights, lanterns and mobile phone chargers. The FreeCharge Portable Energy Source, powered by human step action, wind, solar or plug power, is able to jump start a vehicle battery or power a variety of accessories.
  • Backpack straps harvest energy to power electronics - All that rubbing of your backpack straps on your shoulders may be put to good use, now that researchers have designed a novel type of energy harvesting backpack with straps made of a piezoelectric material that can convert the mechanical strain on the straps into electrical energy. (PhysOrg'; Sept. 13, 2007)
  • Generating Power From Revolving Doors - Fluxxlab in New York is developing a "Revolution Door" that is basically a turbine powered by people as they enter or exit a building, using a redesigned central core to efficiently convert the motion of the spinning door into electricity. (Inhabitat; Feb. 7, 2008)
  • Penn Biologists Invent Power-Generating Backpack - The "Suspended-load Backpack" converts mechanical energy from walking into electricity -- up to 7.4 Watts -- more than enough energy to power portable electronic devices for soldiers, field researchers or disaster relief-workers. (PESN; Sept. 8, 2005)
  • Applied Motion - The SpringWalker body amplifier is a new breed of vehicles with legs and an energy recovery system to enhance the human running gait. Leg force is increased and body weight distributed by means of a leveraged exoskeleton and a single spring is coupled to both legs. It will have you trotting four-minute miles without tiring and scrambling up a mountain like an ATV.
  • Applied Innovative Technologies - NightStar® LED Magnetic Force Shake Flashlight is the perfect emergency flashlight - waterproof, no batteries, bulbs or maintenance required.
  • Phones recharge themselves with physical activity - The YoYo will slowly roll up and down in front of you, generating kinetic energy to repower itself. The U-Turn recovers energy from the opening and closing of the keypad to recharge its batteries. The Runaway can capture the kinetic energy you're creating when moving about. ModeLabs Group (Mobile Magazine; December 20, 2006)
  • Wilderness Solutions - Using air and the heat of compression, like a diesel engine, this remarkable device creates a burning ember with a single push. The Fire Piston is a primitive fire starting device that reliably lights a campfire without matches, lighter or magnesium.

Shake

Stretch/Pull

  • Textronics - Electronic textiles can collect, transmit, and receive energy. Circuitry, sensors or functional components embedded in the structure of the fiber or fabric enable a garment to become an electronic medium. These materials can warm, illuminate, conduct, and sense, using the stretch and recovery properties of elastomeric fibers to "power" this medium, creating stretchable interactive electronic systems.
  • Potenco - Has developed a portable power generator that you simply pull a cord for a minute and generate electric power for up to several hours. This portable green power can be used to power mobile phones, PDAs, lighting products, and digital cameras.
  • Yo-Yo Powered MP3 Player - The inventors estimate that between 10-12 tosses per hour are sufficient for continuous music play. A wireless headset allows the user to listen to music while yo-yoing. (TreeHugger; Aug. 26, 2006)
  • REGEN - A yo-yo/MP3 player complete with wireless headset and docking station.

Leverage

  • Moving Big Rocks - Wally Wallington has demonstrated that he can lift a Stonehenge-sized pillar weighing 22,000 lbs and moved a barn over 300 ft. What makes this so special is that he does it using only himself, gravity, and his incredible ingenuity. (J Walk Blog; Oct. 17, 2006)

Weight Reset

  • Lamp Lit by Gravity Wins Greener Gadget Award - A Virginia Tech student has created a floor LED lamp that is powered by gravity, using a weight slide similar to the concept of a grandfather clock. The lamp was originally calcualted to put out the equivalent of a 40-Watt bulb, and lasts four hours per cycle; and the mechanism was expected to last 200 years; however, these calculations were in error. (PESN; Feb. 18, 2008)

Child's-Play Harnessing

  • Fueling it with fun - It’s time to power up your kids because now there’s a way to put all their hyperactivity to good use. Click the link to see a playground that's just waiting to turn children's energy into electricity. (Discovery.ca; March 31, 2005)

Misc.

Patents

Research & Development

  • As America Implodes, The Bike Industry Booms - The nation may be wracked by collapsing banks, foreclosed houses and a tanking economy, but there's no sign anything's amiss here at Interbike, the bike industry's annual trade show. In fact, it's party time as a perfect storm of eco-conscious consumerism, health-conscious lifestyles and wallet-sapping gas prices conspires to get people out of cars and onto bikes -- especially electric ones. ('Wired; Sept. 26, 2008)
  • Knee Brace Harnesses Human Regenerative Braking - A team of engineers has developed a modified knee brace that captures energy that would otherwise have been lost while the wearer walks. The generator produces about five watts--enough to power 10 cell phones simultaneously. (MIT Technology Review; Feb. 8, 2008)
  • Swedes to use body heat to warm offices - A Swedish company plans to harness the body heat generated by thousands of commuters scrambling to catch their trains at Stockholm's main railway station and use it for heating a nearby office building. (Reuters; Jan. 10, 2008)
  • Harnessing Human Kinetic Energy - The battery-size product, the M2E, harnesses kinetic energy, or normal physical movement, to generate power. Clipped onto a belt or carried in a knapsack, the entire generator is contained within a regular battery casing. (MIT Technology Review; Nov. 29, 2007)
  • Design for the other 90% - Designers, engineers, students and professors, architects, and social entrepreneurs from all over the globe are devising cost-effective ways to increase access to food and water, energy, education, healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation for those who most need them.
  • "Crowd Farm" to Collect Energy? - A couple of MIT students would like to harness the mechanical power of large groups of people. A responsive sub-flooring system made up of blocks that depress slightly under the force of human steps would be installed beneath a thoroughfare. The slippage of the blocks against one another as people walked would generate power. (MIT News; July 25, 2007) (See Slashdot discussion)
  • Fuel cell that runs on blood - A Japanese research team at Tohoku University has developed a fuel cell that runs on blood without using toxic substances, opening the way for use in artificial hearts and other organs. (Gulf Times; May 14, 2005)

Humor

grocery_bike_jp70.jpg

Riding_Lawn_Mower.jpg

  • Asian Child Mimics Hydro Plant - Energy savant child, Kazuo Hydrohuko, has discovered how to harness the power of municipal water fountains. The method doubles as an effective enema. (Josu Kideng; April 1, 2008)
  • The Patented Boonsburg Egg - Simple double disk design used to manipulate and move very heavy objects. Simple design humorously claimed to be identical to Ancient Egyptian "Sun Disk" and similar circles seen at Stonehenge and Coral Castle.

Comments

See Discussion page

Resources

See also

- Other Directory listings • Latest • A-I • J-R • S-Z • Tree • News
- PESWiki home page

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