POWERLeap is an urban flooring system that harnesses exerted kinetic energy to generate electricity. Its designer, 22-year-old Elizabeth Redmond proposes that heavily trafficked urban areas from sidewalks to airports be carpeted with the tiles she’s designed—they light up as they’re walked upon or can store energy for later use (technical info here). Redmond and her expanding team are working to develop the efficiency of the piezoelectric generators and the energy harvesting system; a custom installation is under discussion between Redmond and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Both projects have in common a respect for the natural patterns and rhythms of life. And while each may seem small in scale, or a mite earnest in intent, their respective creators succeed in doing something most large scale endeavors rarely do: they recognize how humans and the earth can intersect in a positive way.
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