Power-generating backpack

A power-generating backpack has been developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The device converts mechanical energy from walking into electricity up to 7.4W - more than enough energy to power a number of portable electronic devices at once.

"The suspended-load backpack could help anyone with a need for power on the go, including researchers, soldiers, disaster relief-workers or someone just looking to keep a mobile phone charged during a long trek," said Larry Rome, the backpack’s inventor and professor of Biology at the University.

During the war in Afghanistan, the Office of Naval Research approached Rome to develop a means to assist over-burdened soldiers who must carry as much as 20 pounds of spare batteries required to power high-tech equipment such as global positioning systems, communications and night vision devices. A typical soldier already marches into the battlefield carrying 80 pounds of gear, so Rome sought a way to capture the mechanical energy of marching in order to charge a lightweight rechargeable battery that could replace all the spares.