JR East's new experiment consists of energy-generators under ticket wickets, a milliwatt-tracking counter, and 700,000 daily commuters. For the next two months, the railway company will be using using the vibrations of human footsteps at Tokyo Station to generate up to 100 milliwatts per second per person that walks through. The idea is to be able to generate enough electricity to power the wickets themselves and their display panels regularly.
Don't even think about going there and stomping your feet like a maniac to fuck up their results. That wouldn't be nice.
In Roterdamn they have installed a 'sustainable dance floor' that I'm assuming works on a similar principle. But with people dancing.http://www.springwise.com/eco_sustainability/hot_nightclub_minus_global_war/
Posted by: GeeWhiz | October 20, 2006 at 12:35 AM
Nice one. I would have thought that the turnstyle gates themselves could harness a bit of force from the passers-through. If we all continue to blog this, the extra energy generated by our extra computer activity will compensate for any gains!
Posted by: Minnellium | October 20, 2006 at 06:20 AM
Millenium: The ticket gates in japan are not turnstyle-type... they are like gates that close if you are trying to pass without a ticket. ;)
Posted by: Dimo | October 20, 2006 at 06:30 AM