Wasting Watts or Time?

Does it make sense just for creating power? Probably not. If you use it to power personal use items, such as I-pods, cellphones, various small power tools etc, then it might very well make sense. I can see a battery belt attached to units at both knees, elbows and even ankles. There could even be orthopedic functions as in helping elderly regain movement. As an arthritic I can see the the day that something on that order could be beneficial to me.

How about posting sites where those knee braces can be found?

Why not? Surely it is worthy to harvest the human energy otherwise wasted.

Few equipment are already available and few might be developed. Obviously storing the energy generated in batteries will be needed.

Some examples are

Attaching alternators to gym equipment and loading those by alternators instead of any sort of mechanical brakes, backpack generators, shoes with piezo which will generate and charge AXX size batteries etc.

On the otherhand the auto industries should develop electrical braking system which will load the wheels for braking, electrically and store that energy in batteries, instead of wasting that energy in heat by mechanical braking

fully human operated and autoloaded gym equipment has been made for 20 years now. www.nautilus.com is one

there are many more.

Many people have bad (really speaking I do not have right to say it bad) habit to shake the feet continuosly, while sitting in chair. Has anybody thought of or made a gadget to use this (otherwise wasted) energy for some useful work like charging the batteries?

Some hybrid and all-electric vehicles do already employ the use of power generation from braking. The auto makers such as GMC and Toyota are doing their best to scavenge every bit of energy. We should be doing the same

There are way better systems readily available: watches that don't need to be rewinded exist already for a long time.

A simple free moving magnet in a coil will transform movement into electricity each time it is shaken.

When this would be integrated into an iPod you can have "free" music while running.

Forget all thos special devices you need to add to your body. these things will only be succesfull if it requires no extra handling but moving, from the user.

Well as far as the watches go, they are pretty awesome. I have one auto-kinetic watch. It was pretty expensive, but I can still pick it up shake it a little and it goes back to the correct time and keeps on ticking.

As for the Ipod re-energizer, they did have a couples years back, but at the time it was as expensive as the player itself so no one bought them. Maybe now that we have developed the tech a little better, someone can afford it now.

A self powered iPod, kick out the Li-ion cells and replace them with a supercap and kinetic energy harvester.

I think it would sell.

Power usage of the devices have gone down tremendously since introduced.

Every adolescent boy should have a 'shaker' type generator on his right hand .

Del - careful, they may put out too much power and blow the circuits. LOL

Ya Definately it is right step toward cause To Complete the miles distance first you have to put a small step toward the Destination. Doing a Small R & D Like Charging a cell phone by walking we can go for bigger invention ....

Such devices will be used as they are needed, economical, feasible and acceptable. Many of them are already used.

Those in the do-it-yourself power movement need to get a life when it comes to this size of power. It can be more trouble than it is worth to try to capture every scrap of energy from every source. It borders on insanity

We have all said it once or twice...."If I could capture my kid's energy and put it in a bottle, I'd be rich!" Well, here is an idea I am attempting to put into reality. My kids love to ride bikes. I am putting small gereators on them that will charge the NiCad batteries that they use in their toys. If they need more batteries, they need to exercise! Im doing the same for the exercise bike indoors and the TV. The Bike/gen charges a 12vdc car bettery which powers an inverter connected to the TV. The stored energy can be used to power the X-BOX too!

Exelent idea. I did something similar when my kids were young. I wouldn't have a TV in my house at that time except to watch videos they earned the right to see with chores.

That type of captured energy is not what I was thinking of. It is those who want to capture every scrap of energy that border on insanity, such as the knee generators, piezo-electric shoes and such. When used as part of exercise or as a discipline to reward exercise it is fine. It is those who become obsessed with it that carry it too far.

There is a story of legendary Thomas Edison. It is said that he had put a rotory gate at teh entry of his house. People used to complaint that though he is excellent inventor, the gate is bit stiff to rotate, why cannt he make it smooth by proper bearings and lubrication.

When asked by some friend, he replied: Every person visiting me pumps 2.5 gallons of water in my overhead tank, when he rotates the entry gate.

Self directed engery use will never be a wasted. It the engery needed to fulfill indirect and poorly planned demands that is wasted.