MaSSSoftech

Tue, Jul 28 04:07 PM

London, July 28 (IANS) Engineers are developing a way to capture the energy released by the marching boots of soldiers and are trying to use it to power their equipment, according to the latest research.

The new system designed to convert foot-power into battery power could help troops reduce the weight of their packs by up to 10 kg.

The project has been designed to address the needs of infantrymen. Heavy packs can severely limit a soldier's mobility and also lead to long-term health problems.

The typical pack weight that an infantryman carries on a six-hour patrol is around 75 kg, with batteries making up 10 kg of the load. Essential kit such as ammunition and water make up much of the rest.

A similar energy harvesting idea has been used in cars for some time where braking force is stored and later used to drive the vehicle forward.

However, harvesting energy from people walking has always proved difficult due to the flexibility and strength of the materials required and the fact that everyone's walking patterns are different.

The devices will use high tech ceramics and crystals as piezoelectric transducers in order to convert mechanical stress into an electric charge.

Andrew Bell, professor at the University of Leeds, who is leading the project says: 'It could also reduce a soldier's pack weight by around 15 percent.'

'And this technology could potentially have lots of applications in civvy street too.' Bell says his team will succeed where others have failed because they are taking a holistic approach.