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Power Walking By CARRIE LOEWENTHAL MASSEY
channels, says Davit Davitian, who works in business development at SolePower. “We see the launch of our EnSoles as the first step toward growing into a company with a worldwide-recognized brand and a variety of innovative products that help solve daily problems for people in all parts of the world,” says Davitian. One of the solutions SolePower hopes to provide is an “on-the-go power source” for “current and future mobile devices,” says Davitian. The company also aims, in the long run, to bring energy to people in need and reduce pollution around the globe. “The biggest environmental impact the SolePower EnSoles can have is through their potential to provide clean, renewable power for LED lights to those living without electricity in developing regions,” says Davitian. “SolePower’s energy harvesting technology can be embedded in low cost sandals which, after one day of walking, can power an efficient LED light for the whole night.” The ability to fuel these LEDs is crucial for the environment. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, 250 to 500 million households worldwide depend on fuel-
Above: EnSole’s mechanism is activated by heel strikes. During every step, a small generator spins to create electricity. A cable transports the generated power to the PowerPac, an external storage component which can be placed inside a fabric holster that integrates with the shoelaces. Left: Mobile devices can be charged by connecting them to the PowerPac’s USB port. Almost any device that can be charged using a computer USB port can be charged by the PowerPac at the same charging speed.
CLEAN ENERGY
ow can you help save the environment and charge your mobile phone at the same time? It’s simple: just go for a walk. The mechanical engineers behind SolePower, an entrepreneurial venture based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have developed an insole that harvests the kinetic energy generated by walking. Each time a walker’s heel hits the ground, the motion activates a rotary electromagnetic generator inside the insole. The generator spins as fast as it can, for as long as it can, and the power it creates is stored in an external lithium battery pack. Walkers can use this power to charge their electronic devices whenever they want. The shoe inserts have been named EnSoles, short for Energy Insoles, and fit into a variety of shoes. SolePower expects to launch EnSoles’ online sales this year, pending positive product tests and the establishment of distribution
MAY/JUNE 2015
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