Contents of Proposal

 At rest, your body is emitting 100 watts of power. That is more than enough energy to power the computer on which this is written. Given this, imagine how much energy we are emitting while walking to work, running at the gym, or dancing at the club! It doesn’t take a genius to appreciate the thought of that energy doing something more for us than dissipating into the ground or environment…

Project POWERLeap has come up with a solution to the problem of wasted human kinetic energy. We have designed a flooring system that will harness your exerted kinetic energy, and use it to generate electricity for us to enjoy. By integrating these interfaces that generate electricity from our daily activities in public and semi-public built environments, each individual will have the ability to generate electricity for their community. Joggers through Central Park would directly power the lights that make it safe for them to jog at night. Through use of energy generating tiles, people are constantly involved in the very activities that create the electricity they need.  Dutifully offsetting their recreational consumption, they’re contributing to the greater energy good.

The fundamental discovery of electricity is attributed to Ben Franklin who performed an experiment in 1752 that grounded electricity from the clouds through a kite and a metal key. This experiment led to many findings about electricity and light (Humphrey Davy, 1809, first electric light) that we now utilize daily.  POWERleap is currently manifested in an installation of urban sidewalk tiles designed and engineered by Elizabeth Redmond. The system utilizes the phenomena of piezoelectricity: electricity from applied stress, founded by the Curie brothers in the 1880’s. A piezoelectric material when compressed distributes a charge across the surface of the material that can be harnessed and used to generate electricity.

On a macro level, POWERleap will change the way we consume, appreciate, and utilize electric power. The electric power that will be available will be no greater than the physical energy we contribute. Whether it is walking to work or dancing at a concert, we can have the chance to generate the power we consume. Simply, through collective human power we can sustain our needs, desires, and recreations, all the while making every decision more deliberate.

Once we better understand the demand electricity has on us, we will no longer demand so much of it.  Rather than saying “turn on now…” we’ll be saying “ok, I’ll walk to work today, then we can enjoy each other’s company over a movie tonight”. In addition, we will reason our recreational consumption by participating in activities where we simultaneously generate electricity. As a designer, I am seeking to create an infinite amount of electricity, conserve natural resources, save money, lower emissions, and in innumerable ways protect our environment; all the while sustaining relationships between individuals, communities, and our earth.

Concept Solution

My concept is an urban flooring system that educates the user about their symbiotic relationship with and dependancy on energy.  It invites them to interact everyday.  The urban flooring tiles will be placed in areas that experience high-foot traffic, and high-energy movement such as city sidewalks, crosswalks, transportation platforms, dance floors, airport terminals, conference centers...  Through our mundane/routine activities (ie: walking to work) and our deliberate activities (ie: dancing in the club by night) we will engage in something else. 

 Energy design is a very important concept for our rapidly evolving society. Rather than depending on outside sources to fabricate the energy we need, we will take responsibility and harness what we already expend.  The challenge is significant and I am proposing a breakthrough system, yet when effective, it will have a fundamental impact on how we live every day.

Design

There are patterns and traditions that rise from the geo-sphere, bio-sphere and techno-sphere that we all share.  These three “spheres” were very critical in my exploration for the modular design.  Since we all share the material, natural and man-made, in these overlapping parts of our universe, it is necessary to bring these elements together and design one system for all people across our communal globe.  Although I oppose most movements towards globalization, we are undeniably in many ways one big city. Humans all over the world will be sustaining the life of their community through the same innate act of movement, meanwhile communally participating in something to benefit existence across the world.

In a global economy, familiar objects/images that ground a native to their land and culture are very important.  If we take too many of these familiarities away then we lose our sense of belonging to any single place.  It erases the visual and sensual noslalgia from our memory.  In reaction, the tiles will not necessarily cover the whole length of an urban block. They can be placed singularly or as desired by the local planning commission.  They will act as global communication portals, connecting all participants through activity, pride, responsibility, and sustainability.

Sustainability is deemed successful when a designed object becomes a cultural element of the space - when the community develops a great enough appreciation for the designed object to preserve it and take care of it.  In my attempt to conserve our diminishing supply of natural resources, POWERleap will sustain our culture through the choice of materials and the subtle, yet ever-present, combination of technology and nature.

Technical Solution

The technical challenge lies beneath the tile surface.  An effective sustainable system must maintain the ability to be applied in a variety of different situations. Such a system draws on concepts within the fields of physics, engineering, and mechanics.   As a result, I have established collaborators in these fields who have answered critical questions and redirected my research.

My solution utilizes the phenomena of piezo electricity (electricity from applied stress discovered in the 1880's by the Curie Brothers).  The piezo electric effect was originally found in natural crystals such as quartz, topaz, and Rochelle salt that when compressed a voltage is displaced onto the surface of the material.  Today ceramic compounds such as lead zirconate titrate and barium titrate commonly exhibit optimal electro-mechanical results.

POWERleap currently uses 2-inch by 1-inch piezoceramic (lead zirconate titrate) plates with a brass reinforcement shim and are covered in nickel electrodes for low current leakage.  When these plates are bent the voltage (22 Vpeak) and current (24 microA) is induced and stimulates momentary electrcal energy impulses used to light the LED's inside each tile.   Although these commercal peizoelectic unit exhibit a low power output, they allow me to begin to exhibit the potential in harvesting human energy. Additionally, when a small power output is multiplied by the number of steps taken in a high traffic city block, the yield is substantial. 

Onward

Moving forward, POWERleap is faced with a number of design challenges ranging from energy transmission to material engineering. This next phase of research will help us design an efficeint electromechanical system that is safe; efficient; easy to install, repair, and apply; and fun to particpate with. I have spent the last year putting together a team of collaobrators who will contribute on this research. Currently we are applying for funding to continue to move this project into its next stage of development.

If you want to get involved in our research efforts or have opportunties to share, please contant me.

In addition to the techncal research team, I am seeking inspired, forward thinking individuals to join a think tank based on renewable human generated electricity.

If interested feel free to contact me at:

elizabeth.redmond@gmail.com