How Everyday Behaviors Can Produce Clean Energy

How to generate energy from sidewalks, roads, railways -- and every breath you take.

All Vibrations are good vibrations in the world of energy harvesting. Whether it's a road under heavy traffic or commuters pounding the sidewalk pavement, micromovements on any surface can be converted into clean energy by power-scavenging devices fitted with piezoelectric (PE) crystals. These pressure-sensitive materials -- normally made of ceramics -- give off a small charge when "squeezed, squashed, bent...