To the armed forces, equipment for communication and navigation is as critical as food and water. But it comes at a steep price: On a 24-hour mission, a soldier will carry as much as 13 kilograms (30 pounds) of batteries to power this equipment - significantly limiting his or her range and speed of travel. Due to logistics, delivering portable power is expensive with estimates as high as $57,000 per soldier per year for the cost of batteries alone. The Biomechanical Energy Harvester can dramatically improve performance, reduce weight, and cut overall costs by slashing the size and quantity of batteries required to complete a given mission. It could also make rechargeable batteries a feasible option for the vast majority of applications currently powered by disposables.

People around the world rely on battery-powered devices that either assist a partly paralyzed limb or replace its function altogether. To this community, quality of life is a direct function of battery weight and charge duration. Our technology can extend the range and confidence of those who rely on such orthoses and prostheses - or on other innovations such as drug pumps and neuro-electric stimulators. Future versions of the Biomechanical Energy Harvester could potentially be fully integrated into these products, or it could even be implanted subcutaneously, creating a seamless interface between power and product.

Hikers, road warriors, mobile field workers... Bionic Power solutions could benefit anyone who relies on portable electronics for work or play. Our present technology could extend the operating time of mobile phones, GPS, MP3 players, digital cameras, headlamps and similar devices. Since such products are typically designed around their power sources, next-generation Bionic Power solutions could possibly pave the way for a new and exciting era of consumer applications and form factors.