US researchers have just developed a technique to create electricity based on the flow of ultra-small liquid particles, helping pedestrians generate electricity large enough to charge mobile phones.
The shape of a liquid droplet on the surface of the liquid is changed by applying a voltage to the surface. Tom Krupenkin and Ashley Taylor (University of Wisconsin, USA) reversed this principle, turning the energy of the liquid into electricity.
Walking can also generate electricity
They experimented with a variety of liquids and discovered a liquid alloy called Galinstan (used in thermometers, which has mercury-like properties but not toxic) capable of producing the strongest electricity.
A device that reverses the principle placed in the shoe will generate 1-10W of electricity, Krupenkin said.
Two researchers set up InStep NanoPower to commercialize new electrical technology. Krupenkin said, in the next few years they will be able to build a smaller-sized electric current device to fit in a shoe sole so that the device can be charged directly via a USB cable or via radio waves.
