The phrase, “add a little spark to your step” comes to mind when referring to a new set of floor tiles that generate electricity through footsteps.
Pavegen is the brainchild of inventor Laurence Kemball-Cook and have the ability to generate between one and seven watts, or about 30 seconds of lamp light depending on the force of a footstep.
As of September 2013, the tiles are undergoing their largest trial run to date and have been installed in the Simon Langton Grammar School For Boys outside of London. And since September, a dozen more schools have the electricity-generating tiles that are mostly made of rubber and recycled materials. Not only is it a way of being more energy efficient, but Kembal sees it as incredibly educational for the students:
“Students can take what they’ve learned in the classroom and see it applied right under their feet.”
Besides generating electricity, the tiles also can track crowd movements, which could be particularly intriguing to retailers looking to analyze a customer’s every footstep.
Via FastCo.