Gate review 2 is in less than a week, and we are working hard on our conceptualization and downselection processes! After an initial roadblock with our original design idea, we are now considering a much wider range of energy gathering methods that will likely lead to something better and more interesting than what we originally thought of. We have been meeting with Dr. Luntz frequently to help us with design ideas and feasibility calculations, and we are making good headway.
Though our downselection process is not finished yet, it looks like we are narrowing our product down to a device that is powered by deliberate human motion that can be worn or incorporated into a cell phone case. Harnessing energy from large, deliberate motions (such as stepping or cranking) will be much easier than capturing wasted energy from vibrations and oscillatory motion because deliberate motions are more predictable and constant. This still solves the problem of convenient and portable power because the device can be used anywhere and requires only your body to generate energy. While several products similar to this exist (there are a lot of cranks on the market), our product will be more convenient and easier to use because it will harness larger body movements than a small hand crank will. To do this, we are thinking of making a device that gathers energy from the motion of the user pulling on a retractable tape. From our preliminary calculations, it is possible to generate a significant amount of energy in a short time, and could be made to be very compact.
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