Electric Steps: Discover the Wooden Floor That Promises to Generate Energy When Walking on Its Surface

Researchers Develop Device Capable of Capturing Energy as You Walk on Its Surface

Climate change is forcing companies and governments around the world to seek cheap and renewable alternatives for electric energy generation. Researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Chongqing University in China, and Northwestern University in Illinois, USA, are developing a way to capture the energy generated by our feet that promises to revolutionize wooden floors. 

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The idea of the study is to generate energy through wooden floors. They developed a prototype for energy capture called a nano generator, where wood is used with a silicone covering and nano crystals. A study published in the journal Matter reports that the device is capable of generating electricity to power LED lamps and other low-energy equipment. 

How Does the Wooden Floor That Generates Energy Work?  

The device consists of two pieces of wood that sandwich electrodes. When stepped on, the pieces of wood become charged due to contact and separation. This effect is known as triboelectric. 

Although the project has been successful in its prototypes, scientists emphasize that more work is needed to create a product capable of being sold on an industrial scale. 

“We have focused our attention on developing an approach to make it even more industrially friendly. And for that, we may need to sacrifice overall efficiency in favor of easier methods for modifying the wood,” highlighted Panzarasa, senior author of the project. 

The ability to generate energy in homes is expected to become more common in the near future. The average energy production from a single device is not high; however, it can generate a significant amount if several devices are installed in a residence. 

“Thus, while the electrical output of a single device is not as high as what we published, the combination of many devices in a larger flooring unit will ultimately produce a significant amount of energy,” he concluded.