Japan Harnesses Energy from Commuters’ Footsteps

December 23, 2008

Two of Tokyo’s biggest train stations have begun experimenting with harnessing the energy generated by the footsteps of millions of commuters who pass through each and every day. Special floor tiles installed in front of the ticket turnstiles trigger a small vibration that can be stored as energy every time a passenger steps on them.

From The Telegraph:

Multiplied many times over by the 400,000 people who use Tokyo Station on an average day, according to East Japan Railway, and there is sufficient energy to light up electronic signboards.

“We are just testing the system at the moment to examine its full potential,” said Takuya Ikeba, a spokesman for JR East, adding that the tiles are constructed of layers of rubber sheeting, to absorb the vibrations, and ceramic.

Deeply dependent on imported fuel to power its industries, Japanese companies are at the forefront of research into clean and reuseable energy sources.

The “Power Generation Floor” at Shibuya Station on the other side of Tokyo can generate an even more significant amount of power considering that 2.4 million people pass through it each day. The power generated by the tiles, made by Soundpower Corp., can be stored in capacitors and channeled to the areas of the station in need of power, including the lighting system and ticket gates.

It’s awesome to see this technology get tested on a large scale. It only makes sense to harvest clean, emissions-free energy however we can, and with the millions of people that pass over busy stations like this all over the world, it really has potential to do a lot of good.

Posted by: Erin Wheeler