Sole Power
As we walk, repeatedly transferring our weight from heel to toe, tremendous forces are created, without our care or attention. SolePower captures some of the energy from that smashing action, and converts it to electricity.
Using two fluid-containing bladders, connected by a pair of tubes, fluid is squashed back and forth, from one bladder to the other. Check valves in the tubes cause flow in one direction, so that the fluid is forced into a circular path.
A solenoid generator, in which a magnet is pushed through a coil to create electrical current, takes advantage of the fluid moving through the tubes. Nanotechnology has produced a magnetic fluid called ferrofluid. Tiny magnetic particles are suspended in a fluid. By wrapping a coil around the tubes, an electrical current is produced as the magnetic fluid courses through the coils. When a battery is charged, it's used to recharge other batteries in portable electronic devices.
SolePower would be useful for anyone who is walking in a place where there isn't a power outlet everywhere you go. Backpackers, soldiers, search and rescue, or just people trying to live "off the grid". SolePower technology could also be built directly into all kinds of footwear.
