A review of footstep energy harvesting systems

Chandra, Kritesh A. and Narayan, Sumesh and Mamun, Kabir and Chand, Aneesh A. and Prasad, Deepak D. and Ahmed, Mohammed R. (2025) A review of footstep energy harvesting systems. IEEE Access, 13 . pp. 87149-87174. ISSN 2169-3536

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Abstract

Recently, energy harvesting through human locomotion has emerged as a promising source of clean energy for fueling low-power smart electronic devices. As energy plays a pivotal role in all sectors, the prospect of harnessing clean energy from human footsteps has become a focal point in the quest for sustainable energy solutions. This article presents a comprehensive exploration of various kinetic energy harvesting technologies—such as piezoelectric, rack-and-pinion, triboelectric nanogenerators, human mounted, Pavegen, airflow-based, and fluid-flow-based energy harvesting systems— that are being employed to generate biomechanical energy from simple human motion. These systems require only small displacements such as walking and movement of human limbs. The discussion explores the complexity of design, operating principles, and performance evaluations of these cutting-edge human motion energy harvesters. Furthermore, the article delves into a critical assessment of the limitations, benefits, and challenges confronting piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy harvesting technologies in the realm of low-power practical applications. The review highlights that piezoelectric flooring systems, rack-and-pinion harvesters, triboelectric nanogenerators, and wave spring generators hold significant promise for footstep energy harvesting. With ongoing advancements in piezoelectric materials, the efficiency of these harvesters is expected to improve. Combined with the decreasing power requirements of portable devices, footstep energy harvesters may soon serve as a clean and mobile energy source for such technologies.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Piezoelectric energy harvesting, Electromagnetic energy harvesting, Human locomotion, Portable devices
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
Divisions:	School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP)
Depositing User:	M. Rafiuddin Ahmed
Date Deposited:	12 Jun 2025 01:01
Last Modified:	12 Jun 2025 01:01
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/14998

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