BURNABY, BC, CANADA-- A new start-up company is commercializing a breakthrough invention that generates electricity from the natural motion of walking and uses it to power a broad range of portable devices.
The Biomechanical Energy Harvester is the focus of a peer-reviewed article in the February 8 edition of the academic journal Science. The device, which resembles an orthopedic knee brace, can generate up to five watts of power without creating any noticeable effort for the wearer.
By way of example, one minute of walking with the device could deliver enough power to support 10 minutes worth of "talk time" on a typical mobile phone.
"Our technology is really about freedom," says Yad Garcha, CEO of Bionic Power Inc., which developed the invention. "We free people from the weight, hassle, and worry that come with carrying and managing multiple battery packs."
"It opens up new frontiers for soldiers, the disabled, and others who really depend on portable power," adds Garcha. "And it challenges us to imagine new products that might previously not have been possible."
The privately-held Bionic Power is presently exploring strategic partnerships in the defense and biomedical markets. Eventually, the company expects to expand into the consumer-electronics sector.
"The armed forces presently spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars getting disposable batteries into the field," explains Garcha. "The Energy Harvester not only lightens a soldier's load--allowing him to travel farther and faster--but it could radically reduce shipping and logistics costs."
The company also believes its technology can significantly enhance quality of life for the disabled. According to the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association, in 2005 Medicare approved nearly USD$968 Million in services for nearly 4.5 million people who rely on orthoses or prostheses.
The Biomechanical Energy Harvester is the product of nearly a decade of research at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University, and is the focus of a growing intellectual-property portfolio. For more information, please visit www.bionic-power.com. |
