Lisette Borja
Landon Austill
Gabby Nacion
Hannah Wheeler
Final Project Proposal
Problem: Most of the energy we produce currently still comes from the nonrenewable resource of burning fossil fuels. We know this in problematic for a variety of reason such as the fact that fossil fuels won’t last forever and it adds to air pollution. We want to create a new kind of renewable energy resource generated from the movement of people.
Our idea is to create a prototype of a piezoelectric generator that lights up a structure. This would be a representation of a much larger scale idea that we envision being placed into largely populated areas. This would allow people to generate electricity by walking, running, moving over these areas. The energy would be stored and then utilized by a nearby structure.
There are examples of piezoelectric generators being used in a small scale, we want to build upon this and create something larger.
The project would kick start more conversation about how we can incorporate human movement into energy in a renewable way. It would take advantage of the growing population that is only continuing to grow.
We want to build a small-scale representation. For right now, we are thinking a project the size of a tetherball court. Inside there would be a lamp that would be powered by the pressure under the people walking around.
Materials list – (very loose) piezo elements, some kind of mat, lightbulb(s), probably an Arduino, lamp.
