Any one point on a busy street can receive up to 50,000 steps a day, so imagine if you could take all that foot traffic and turn it into something useful - like energy! A new product designed by Laurence
Synch your workout with a little river detox, then rehydrate with a cup of the fresh water you just filtered. This people-powered water purification island, designed by Jakub Szczesny as part of the
The serene back-and-forth movement of a rocking chair is nothing if not relaxing. It can also be useful and productive, according to Rochus Jacob. The designer's Murakami Chair, a winner in designboom's
Fast food lovers may finally feel a little less guilty about getting greasy burgers. One New Jersey Burger King recently equipped its drive-thru with a speed bump that harvests electricity from cars that
Next time you feel like generating a little energy, just roll into your local Sainsbury's! The third largest British supermarket chain has just unveiled a new energy system that generates power from the
Every year millions of tourists and locals descend upon Tibet’s temples and spin the prayer wheels contained inside. If the mechanical energy generated by the movement of these spinning wheels could be
Here's a brilliant invention that makes us wonder why all city sidewalks aren't covered in piezoelectric tiles. POWERleap is a floor tiling system that converts wasted energy from human foot traffic into
We've seen piezoelectric systems that harvest energy from roads, subways, and even umbrellas -- now researchers have announced that they are on the brink of unlocking an energy grid composed of
Hot air balloons have long fueled the imagination and now Brisbane-based Solartran has conceived of a way to harness the serene floating forms to generate significant amounts of renewable energy as well.
Imagine never having to plug your cellphone into the wall again! Now you can just plug it into your bike with Oscar L’Hermitte’s “Watts Maker” cell phone charger. The system
Engineers at Innowattech in Israel recently created a new type of road that generates electricity as vehicles pass over it! The supercharged surface is embedded with piezoelectric crystals, which
Umbrellas that light up with integrated LEDs are nothing new: from Instructable's DIY illuminated umbrella to patio umbrellas available at Lowes, LED Umbrellas have been around the block. But here's a
When the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) decided to invest in alternative energy sources, it only had to look to its users for the perfect source of energy. Recently the company decided to update
Harvesting the kinetic energy generated by crowds of people is one of our favorite approaches to renewable energy. Recently Netherlands-based Natuurcafé La Port installed an energy generator in a
There's nothing that we love more than a well-designed bike, so we get excited when designers take a long hard look at one and give us a vision of things to come. David Gonçalves' Grasshopper is a
The e-charkha is an ingenious update to India’s ubiquitous charkha [spinning wheel] that transforms the simple machine into a potentially significant source of energy for millions of struggling
Gunwook Nam's Human Pump is a clever solution to the world's water crisis that captures kinetic energy generated from human foot traffic and uses it to power a system of pumps that bring fresh drinking
For those times when you are hanging out in your underground lair with no sunlight to speak of, this little device could power your iPhone should the battery die. The iYo Induction Power Charger,
The world's very first Sustainable Dance Club recently let partygoers loose on its energy-generating dance floor to the sound of Iggy Pop & The Stooges! Originally rumored to be opened by Amy
In the age of digital photography, photographers on the go know that keeping charged is an essential consideration. Whereas most cameras use batteries for power, Sony recently revealed a unique looking
Earlier this year we highlighted Idaho startup M2E Power’s push to develop motion-powered electronics for the military. Now M2E is emphasizing the commercial applications for their technology, with a
Have you ever pedaled on a stationary bike at the gym and thought to yourself: ‘What if this energy I am exerting could be used for something better than just making me sweat?” Well now a new
Behold the mowercycle! Is this an awesome DIY design or what? This ingenious bicycle-lawnmower fashioned by an unknown suburban lawn owner out of an old bicycle and a broken lawnmower, is a testament to
Sustainability got sexier last week as Coldcut and Jade Jagger hosted the opening of Surya in King's Cross. The Club4Climate project is London's first taste of eco-friendly clubbing, making clubbers happy
You may have heard the rumors, but it is now official, Ferrari is developing a hybrid sports car. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the company president, said, “We are currently working on the development
With a design which would easily fit in a 1970's Stanley Kubrick film, Postfossil's award winning First Light reading lamp is certainly cinematic. Powered entirely by a cog and wheel mechanism, the light
Imagine being able to collect the energy of every person walking up and down the stairs from the Spinnaker Tower viewing platform in Portsmouth, UK. That is the proposal being put forward by David Webb,
It's something that could happen to us all - accruing so many USB-bound gadgets that there's no way to keep them all charged. They clutter the desk and drawers, constantly vying for attention from the
Biomimicry - or designs based on natural systems - is one of the most intriguing methods for designers and engineers to create innovative and efficient solutions to problems. Inspired by forms and
In the future, when you need to charge your cell phone, all you'll need to do is to go for a walk. Researchers at Simon Fraser University Locomotion Laboratory in Burnaby, Canada, have created an
