Are there human powered generators that draw power from body movement?
I enjoy hiking but I don't give away some gadgets like flashlight (if hiking at night) and a smartphone for the GPS. I recently took a long hike that went well into the night (about 18 hours hiking straight, with a few rest stops) and found that my hand crank flashlight and USB charger are quite cumbersome to be driven while walking.
Do you know if there is any device that would draw power from other body movement that would have enough power for a flashlight and a USB charger?
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The U.S. Army had a power-generating backpack developed, within which were ballast weights which moved with the wearer's marching motion, and which were coupled to some sort of generator.
It looks like this item has been commercialized now:
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Ignoring the usb charger and just focusing on light. There are a multitude of mechanically powered lights. Personally I have several of them. IMHO the most effective and efficient are the Shake Type originally marketed under the name "NightStar jP Shake Flashlight" The best are relatively expensive USD $60+ I have an original NightStar JP that is more then 10 or 15 years old, It has spent hundreds of thousands of miles sitting on the floor of my vehicle next to the drivers seat and still works (just checked)
The reality of mechanical energy to light is usually less impressive (shorter light time) then advertised. There are currently several "shake lights" on the market and some made by the same NightStar company. All the models I have tried have been a disappointment, even the NightStar JP which is the best I have seen or used really only gives a small amount of light, and 2 to 4 minutes of it for a a few seconds of shaking. On a clear night, with just the stars for light, I would not use it to light my path.
The magnet is strong, and can be a risk to any sensitive electronics placed near it. But the magnet also works well to keep the flashlight in place next to the metal base of my car seat.
Having said that the best is disappointing; if my NightStar JP was lost, I would buy another. It does not give a lot of light, and it does not last long. But it always works. It is possible to walk and shake it at the same time. When it is dark and overcast and you literally can not see your hand in front of your face and you don't remember when the last time you checked your flashlight was, a quality mechanical light (that uses a capacitor NOT a battery) can make all the difference.
If you are concerned about ease of use, weight, cost and brightness of light, one or two small LED, battery operated lights, with a supply of spare AA or AAA is probably going to give you more light, for less money and weight then a mechanical light, for trips of several days.
Other answers address, the practicality of spare batteries for short term electronic requirements.
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There was a kickstarter for shoe soles that can charge a battery. The company is called SolePower. They ran a Kickstarter and were successful. I have not followed the company myself, but they do seem to have progressed since the kickstarter days.
In a short summary, your walking will charge a battery bank attached to your ankle.
I am not trying to re-purpose how you hike, but these are my thoughts on meeting your requirements.
- Purchase an LED headlamp that utilizes one AA battery.
- Purchase a package of 2 Sanyo Eneloop batteries with their USB charger.
- Purchase these soles (when available, if not already).
You wouldn't have to carry anything anymore really.. an extra AA, your phone and a USB cable for you phone. Battery strapped to your ankle, lamp on your head.. sorry, ran off topic a bit.
SolePower soles and shoes are what I came across a while ago when I was doing my research. (I ended up getting a BioLite for camping :D)
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I get the stated question is generate power
But if you are just looking for power a battery is very weight effective. One AA battery is only 0.8 ounce. A pair (1.6 oz) on low power will last about 4 hours.
The SolePower is a cool product and good answer but all set up it is about 24 oz without batteries. Add in 2 sets of batteries 27 oz.
You would need to hike 4 hours into the night for 16 nights for the charger to be weight effective. Even an endurance trekker cannot hike 4 hours into the night for 6 nights let alone 16 nights. On top of that it is your energy charging the battery.
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