http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/ Engadget Comments for Piezoelectrics installed in Tokyo railway station floors generate power, wastes it http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
]]>Dec 11th 2008 4:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
This whole concept is like a jetpack; sure it works, but for practical applications, it is an order of magnitude below the necessary capabilities.]]>Dec 11th 2008 5:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 6:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
What increased resistance? It would be almost like normal road you drive over. The amount of movement a piezoelectric would need isn't much. It's harnessing gravity as the car rolls over, it's not harnessing the cars power. Just the power exerted from gravity pulling the car down on the piezoelectric pad.

The energy wasted in the car is used to move the car along the road, which it already does, piezoelectric road or not. The car doesn't use more energy to move over one solid surface than another. There's just no system in place to capture the gravitational force, force exerted by the spinning tires and momentum of the car exerted by cars on the pavement.]]>Dec 11th 2008 6:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_resistance
]]>Dec 11th 2008 6:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 7:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 8:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 12th 2008 12:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
For instance, imagine a sidewalk made of this material that sinks so little when you step on it, it feels like concrete to your foot. This would generate very little energy per step of course. Now imagine one where every step you take, the sidewalk sinks in an inch. This would generate many times the energy of the first, but it would be much more taxing for you to walk on. In the first example, the energy output of the system would not be worth the time and expense of harnessing it. In the second example, the energy output would be much greater, and maybe marginally worthy of the expense of capturing it, however, it would be much more taxing to someone walking on it. Now imagine what I've described, but substitute vehicles and roads.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/SchemaPiezo.gif (best illustration of the concept)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric#History (the above image in context)

]]>Dec 12th 2008 2:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/I noticed that before on engadget, people vote positively on what they think might be 'smart talk' and not on judging if it actually is smart, it just has to sound technical or as if it's displaying expertise, which works often but obviously fails plenty too.

]]>Dec 12th 2008 8:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 12th 2008 5:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
You are semi-correct.

Why not put piezoselecronics under the steel track (think suspension) and let the weight of the train push and it's vibration down (compress) on the device?]]>Dec 13th 2008 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
When materials technology gets to the point where this is cheap and easy to deploy, other alternatives that provide more energy will surely have leapt ahead several generations, making this akin to using rainwater runoff to run a small turbine for frivolity.]]>Dec 13th 2008 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
He's not a doc, he just portrays one on TV.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Dr.+Tobias+Funke]]>Dec 13th 2008 9:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
Environmentalism goes way too far sometimes.]]>Dec 11th 2008 4:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
1400000 / 24 / 60 = 16W. Not so impressive.]]>Dec 11th 2008 5:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 5:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/1,400kW-seconds per day (the slash is a typo; get over it, Anthony) translates to 0.389 kW-hours per day.

Why list it as Watt-hours and not joules? Because that's how the power company sells power. Look at your bill. They charge you by the Watt-hour.

Since the ballpark cost of a kW-h in the US is somewhere around 10 CENTS, it does sound like a ridiculously expensive endeavor.]]>Dec 11th 2008 5:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 12th 2008 4:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Thats Old skool.]]>Dec 11th 2008 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o]]>Dec 11th 2008 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
But I'm pretty sure there's no risk of people stopping in a Tokyo rail station. ;) The more relevant question would be whether the floor can still generate power with someone being trampled between the walkers and the floor...]]>Dec 11th 2008 4:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/After generating the power to get my ticket, I can board the train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk2R_mqV4ts
]]>Dec 11th 2008 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
Sorry, but this product would have to improve in power output by a factor of at least 100 times before we could ever care about it. Or it would have to get so much foot traffic it would be impossible.

Maybe under cars on a bridge...]]>Dec 11th 2008 4:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 5:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 4:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbreviation]]>Dec 11th 2008 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 5:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
The real thing to bitch about isn't how miniscule that is but rather the energy required to produce these floor mats – I'm sure it greatly exceeds the energy these things will produce in their lifetimes.]]>Dec 11th 2008 5:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/i know of a guy who tried to get a patent and that piece of tec. know what? didn't pass!
why? where does the energy comes from? from the cars engine. when trying to store the "lost?" energy, you actually reduce the engines efficiency by increasing the rolling resistance of the tires = more gallons/miles. so you have a engine with a energy efficiency of about 20% and make it even worse. it would be better to install a decent power plant and burn the fuel with 50%+ plus heat.

for the japanese approach. nothing more than a glorified gym. the people power that thing by stepping on it. the environmental concerns are 100% correct. no way you'll get the energy input back, ever, period.

if you go down that path, they will have trampolines at the platform so that they can produce energy while waiting.
nice side effect-> it will certainly improve the health of the commuters due to an extra workout.
]]>Dec 11th 2008 5:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/Dec 11th 2008 5:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/piezoelectrics-installed-in-tokyo-railway-station-floors-generat/
Also, I find it odd it could be stated to generate 1400kJ per day, when the display only has 4 digits. It would max out at 9.999kJ per day.]]>Dec 11th 2008 5:56PM