Human-Powered Train Stations in the Works |
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Japan gave the world the benefit of years of experience in being innovative and wacky. They brought us things like the Walkman, the Super Nintendo, extremely cute (and underaged) bikini models, a miniature prince rolling around a ball of condensed gravity to suck up the whole galaxy, and teams of teens in spandex costumes fighting monsters in their giant robot. Just when you thought they couldn't offer anything stranger, it looks as if we have something else to thank them for.The East Japan Railway Company (JR East) is researching on ways to make their train stations more environment-friendly. To do that, they're trying to turn human power into electricity for the station.
How?
They're testing a system that produces electricity every time someone passes through a station's ticket gates. If the system works, it should take care of part of the station's electrical needs, lessening the overall consumption of electricity through power plants.
The gate system works through a process known as piezoelectricity, where voltage is created as a result of mechanical stresses such as pressing or squeezing. In this case, piezo elements are installed into the floor at ticket gates, generating electricity as people step on the piezo elements.
While the technology is still in it's development stages, there are a variety of ways it can be used in the future. With a proper means for storing the generated power, it can serve as a good backup generator unit for the train station during blackouts. At the same time, it can also be used to measure the number of commuters going through the station at any time.
It seems like the system is far from being completed, but it's definitely a worthwhile system to develop for public use. Just imagine how much electricity you can harness, for instance, in one day of operation on all of New York's subway system, and it almost feels like an inexhaustible power source. Let's hope it turns out well.
Via Pink Tentacle
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