A group of researchers believe shoes that generate electricity as you walk are just the tip of the iceberg for an exciting green tech called piezoelectricity.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute unveiled the exciting potential news for energy innovation in a study published in the journal Nature Communications.
The researchers were able to demonstrate "proof of concept" for a polymer film device that tapped into vibrations and compressions to generate electricity, per a news release on the findings.
For one example, their bespoke material made of barium, zirconium, and sulfur was able to power LED lights spelling "RPI" on shoes when worn by subjects who walked or ran.
"We are excited and encouraged by our findings and their potential to support the transition to green energy," researcher Nikhil Koratkar said in the release.
Notably, the scientists were able to construct the piezoelectric material without lead.
"Lead is toxic and being restricted and phased out of materials and devices," Koratkar noted. He added the goal was to build a material that "could be made inexpensively using elements commonly found in nature."
The team has much bigger goals than lighting up shoes or bike helmets, though.
They believe a scaled-up version could be used in a "wide variety of devices, machines, and structures," per Koratkar. That's because the greater the surface area and the greater pressure, the more electricity can be generated.
Koratkar threw out the idea of generating energy from below highways as cars drove over them, and deriving energy from building materials as the buildings vibrated.
The RPI team's efforts are part of increasingly innovative approaches to generating energy more sustainably. Fast-growing clean energy sources like solar and wind power similarly try to take advantage of natural phenomena. Investing in geothermal energy sources is another lever the government is pulling.
The overall efforts are important in global initiatives to move away from dirty energy that is warming the planet with dangerous consequences.
Another important part of the RPI's process is avoiding using lead, which is dangerous to humans and animals alike. Lead poisoning threatens bald eagles, and the chemical has caused serious health issues for local residents when it has reached waterways. It's disturbing to see it crop up in places like Halloween costumes.
Creating a piezoelectricity solution with lead would merely be solving one problem while creating another.
As for where the RPI researchers hope to go next, Koratkar said they'd "like to eventually see this kind of material implemented at scale, where it can really make a difference in energy production."
To that end, they are beginning efforts to test compounds that can produce an even stronger piezoelectric effect, and believe AI and machine learning could play a role in their search.
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