Chinese University experts develop a device that can generate power from the motion of your knee joint as you walk
- A healthy person on average walks about 10,000 steps a day, which is enough to charge a smart band or an Apple Watch, says expert
- The device is lightweight and can be attached to a person’s thigh and shank to transform biomechanical energy to electrical energy
Imagine you will no longer have to feel frustrated for leaving your power bank at home, while your smart band or Apple Watch’s battery runs out. You will simply have to walk more to recharge the devices.
Experts from the mechanical and automation engineering department of Chinese University have developed a lightweight “prototype harvester”, which will be able to generate electricity using the motion of the human knee joint when a person walks.
The device has gone through numerous tests since January this year, and has shown it can generate energy from the motion of the human knee joint, Chinese University experts who created the device, said.
A walk of four kilometres an hour can generate 1.6 milliwatt of electricity, and a healthy person on average walks about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which is enough to charge a wearable electronic device such as a smart band or Apple Watch, they said.
“Scientists have so far been able to develop large devices, such as bulky harvesters linked to treadmills or riding bicycles, to use human motion for generating electricity. But our device weighs only 307 grams, which is just about the weight of a small bottle of water, and is not a heavy burden on the person wearing it,” Liao Wei-hsin, the professor who led the research to develop the device, said.
The lightweight but lengthy device, which will cost around HKD $700 (US$89), can be attached to a person’s thigh and shank to transform biomechanical energy to electrical energy.
