Biomechanical Energy Harvester

To most of us, portable power is a constant worry - remember the last time your phone battery died? But to some, a fully-charged battery pack represents much more than just a convenience. It allows a soldier to communicate, navigate and return to base safely. And it dramatically improves the quality of life for stroke victims, amputees, and others who rely on power-assisted medical devices to get around.

That realization spurred development of the Biomechanical Energy Harvester. The wearable technology unobtrusively generates electricity from the natural motion of walking and uses it to charge a wide range of portable battery-powered devices. The Harvester resembles an orthopedic knee brace, weighs about three pounds, and extracts up to seven watts of electricity from each leg - roughly the amount needed to simultaneously operate 14 mobile phones. The next generation of the device will be much smaller, lighter, and even more efficient.

Bionic Power, the product's developer, is a tech-startup in British Columbia, Canada. The Harvester is the culmination of years of biomechanical engineering research. It represents a significant breakthrough in the portable-power field, and is the focus of a growing intellectual-property portfolio. The company is presently pursuing strategic partnerships on a global basis.

Source: bionic-power.comAdded: 15 October 2008