So any motion can produce electricity?

Question

So, maybe Humans can produce electricity after all…
I remember reading a Q asking if it was possible for a human to wear a suit to produce electricity from what they do everyday (move).

I recently ran across this article yesterday…
“Bob Komarechka, a geologist from Sudbury, Ontario, spends many tedious days in the field lugging rock samples and electrical instruments. Two seemingly unrelated desires—one for a pair of comfortable gel-cushioned soles, the other for an alternative to frequently changing his instruments’ failing batteries—led to an epiphany.

In May 2001, Komarechka received a U.S. patent for a shoe design that uses the rolling motion of walking to produce a steady flow of electric current. When a person steps forward, fluid is forced out of a sac in the heel through the blades of a small turbine into another sac in the toe, where the fluid is held by a check valve. When the foot rolls onto its toe, the fluid is squirted back through the turbine and into the heel. Both the turbine and a microgenerator are located between the sacs, in the center of the sole, and a socket connects a wire to electrical devices.

Using calculations based on the average person’s weight, Komarechka believes that the shoes could generate a steady three watts of electricity—enough to power a hand-held computer, a GPS device, or a radio, or to continuously recharge batteries.
No prototype exists yet, although Komarechka is waiting for replies from Reebok, Nike, and the U.S. military. “I know I can make it work,” he says. “It’s fairly straightforward.””

Source:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1012
So now the question is, is harnessing human movement possible in the future to create energy?

(even if it only powers my rechargeable batteries for my MP3 player I’ll be thrilled! Endless MUSIC!)

Answer 1

I've heard of this and even seen working prototypes.

I believe that the U.S. military is currently examining this as an option for infantry as it would allow them to carry a lot more tech without having to worry about having alot of weight in batteries.

I truly think it's an awesome idea.

Love as always,

Sebastian

Answer 2

Anything that is in motion, and has mass... has kinetic energy.

Since energy cannot be created or destroyed, that kinetic energy instead of being lost as heat on the floor or on your muscles, can be converted into electric energy with the proper equipment. In this case it's a small turbine, just like in hydroelectric plants all over the world.

I must mention that you are not creating that energy that you will produce with the shoes, you are also transforming it from the food you have eaten recently.

Answer 3

Yes, as long as somewhere you have motion of a conductor through a magnetic field. The sense of the question, however, is more specific: is it reasonable to create electricity by human motion? The answer: maybe, sometimes. You can get bicycle lights which are powered by a generator spun by a wheel, and there are various radios and flashlights which are powered by human motion. But I'd rather buy batteries for my bike light than crank harder to see where I'm going at night.

Answer 4

Yes, its quite possible. I'll keep my fingers crossed, coz the world's energy future depends on the development of such alternative energy sources!