No power? Take a walk and recharge your mobile phone

BHUBANESWAR: Now, there is another reason why you should walk besides weight loss. By walking just one km, you can produce enough power to recharge your mobile phone's battery.

Two students from Bhubaneswar won wide appreciation during the 101st National Science Congress, which concluded in Jammu on February 7, for making a modified shoe fitted with peizo cell that produces storable energy.

Subhranshu Banerjee, a Class VIII student of ODM Public School and Deekshya Das, a Class IX student of the same school, have made the unique shoe. "You can walk more after wearing the modified shoe and recharge your laptop. The benefits of walking are undisputable from the health point of view," Banerjee told mediapersons here.

Showing a prototype of the shoe, Banerjee said the peizo cell can be fitted into the shoe's sole and connected to a battery. "Whenever the person walks, the pressure on the cell will create power, which will be stored in the battery," he said.

Das said the idea struck her amid debates over routine power failure. "We conducted many trials before zeroing on the Rs 10 coin peizo cell," she said. If produced in large volume, such shoe would not cost more. This device, produced commercially, will cost Rs 100 only, they said.

"Such shoes would be of great help during disasters when the power network gets disconnected. More research is required to make it usable and commercially viable," said S Minaketan, principal of the school.