Ok, these may be really really stupid or really really practical ideas — so no comments starting with “Steve you’re an idiot!” — but I was thinking today about ways to generate power around the house.
What if electric power could be practically generated and distributed by micro or nano devices embedded in motion-generating fixtures around a house? Opening doors, drawers, running water from faucets - there’s a lot of energy that perhaps could be captured. I doubt it would be a lot of power, but enough, perhaps to charge small devices?
Crazy? Interesting? What do you think?
Me and my wife were thinking about attaching a similar device to our dog's tail. She is always wiggling her tail and she has a rather long one.
It would definitely generate more than enough power to charge my cell phone ;-)
It's not crazy. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4087518.ece it's already here but may have to stay on the larger scale time being.
I've often wondered the effects of having coils added under the main highways so as cars move over them they induce a current which is a little larger scale but back to the uses within the house.
In any gender mixed household the times the toilet seat is raised or lowered may be good for a watt or two. Piezo electric effect in the flooring
What's less clear is the energy taken to make the device ever being recovered.