From a list of urban innovations at the Next Web, a section about using pedestrian energy to illuminate streetlights:
“Think about all the energy expended by pedestrians walking down the street. What if it could be harnessed to power street lighting? The Viha concept involves an electro-active slab with a lower portion that is embedded in the floor, and a mobile upper part that can produce energy.
While it won’t be able to replace power stations, this solution is designed to produce enough energy for use in the immediate vicinity, thus taking strain off the power grid and reducing the power bill of the local authority. In particularly crowded areas, this would work well.”
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The Viha concept in practice: