According to the researchers involved, the process caused the timber to generate electricity that was 80 times more efficient compared to natural wood. | Photo source The new system allows wooden flooring to be electrically charged with footsteps, which powers light bulbs and other small household devices Spotted: Scientists from ETH Zurich have developed a wooden flooring system that generates energy to power electronics. The system has already been demonstrated by powering a lamp with footsteps. The study, published in the journal Matter, shows how the innovative charging system consists of two thin layers of treated wood with electrodes layered below. As people walk across the flooring, the electrodes vibrate through what’s known as the triboelectricity effect. In other words, electricity is generated by friction, leading to materials becoming electrically charged. We might recognise this effect when, for example, a balloon becomes electrically charged after rubbing it against hair, or when a moving car becomes charged thereby causing passengers to receive a shock when they touch the door handle. Scientists experimenting with this new flooring system used one piece of wood coated with silicone that readily gains electrons upon contact. The other piece of wood was embedded with metal […]
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