Shoe-worn devices ‘can power wearable technology via walking energy’

Two new ways of powering wearable technology by generating energy from body movements have been developed by scientists in Germany.

A team from the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft Institute for Micromachining and Information Technology have developed a pair of shoe-worn devices that have shown promise in harnessing power from a person's natural walking gait, reports The Engineer.

The first, dubbed a shock harvester, generates power when the heel of the shoe comes into contact with the ground, while the second – the swing harvester – is able to harness the energy provided by the swinging of the foot in motion.

Although the durability of both systems is yet to be investigated, both were designed with longevity in mind. They can be incorporated into the soles of ordinary shoes, though it is believed that specially-designed footwear would offer greater comfort.

Lead author Klevis Ylli, from the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft Institute for Micromachining and Information Technology, said: "If the sole had been designed with energy harvesting in mind, an appropriate structure could have been developed from the beginning in order to keep the sole size constant and the same as in normal shoes."

Wearable technology is becoming an increasingly prominent trend in consumer electronics and medical device design. In particular, they offer strong potential for constant real-time monitoring.