Las Vegas is getting some new streetlights, and they will be powered by your feet.

A New York-based startup, called EnGoPlanet, has built four streetlights at a Vegas intersection that will be powered entirely by renewable energy. During the day, the lights will run on solar energy. But at night, they will be powered by the kinetic energy of all the people walking by them.

The Vegas streetlights are a trial of the company's new "kinetic tiles," which convert footsteps to electrical energy. According to the company, each step generates "from 4 to 8 watts" of power. It's not clear how many footsteps would be required to power their streetlights.

Each streetlight also doubles as a Wi-Fi hotspot and charging station, and comes with a suite of atmospheric and environmental sensors. They also come with built-in surveillance cameras, which may carry potential privacy concerns.

EnGoPlanet is not the first company to build kinetic-powered streetlights; another startup called Pavegen hooked up kinetic tiles in Heathrow airport and at the 2014 World Cup. However, EnGoPlanet is the first to connect their kinetic tiles to their own streetlights.

If the Vegas trial goes well, the company plans a large-scale installation, perhaps on the Vegas strip or in New York City parks. Which means that foot-powered lights—and their surveillance cameras—might be coming to your city soon.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/

Observers 0 Views : 1118 Owner: Captain EnGoPlanet