These Smart Shoes Were Made for Harvesting Your Walking Energy
Why these shoes may get rid of your need for batteries.
— -- These smart shoes may one day power up your wearable electronic devices while you walk.
Built by German researchers, the set of shoes aims to harvest the energy humans create with every step they take, getting rid of the need for batteries or adapters to power a person's wearable devices.
The technological advance was detailed in the journal Smart Materials and Structure. The power sneakers are equipped with "inductive energy harvesters" in the soles of the shoes. With each step a person takes, they generate power from the motion created between the magnets and coils in the sole of the shoe.
A separate "swing harvester" also harnesses the energy a person makes every time their foot swings to take a step.
While the power kicks are cool, they won't be enough to power a current smartphone, but the shoes should be able to power small sensors in various wearable devices, according to the study.
The BBC reports the technological advance could even be used to power self-lacing shoes for the elderly -- Marty McFly style.