• By Elaine Chow
    Dec 9, 2008 12:00 AM 5,018
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    read more: #japan, #alternativeenergy, #piezoelectric, #led, #christmas, #christmaslights, #holidaylights, #japanonly, #shibuya, #tokyo, #shibuyastation

    Pedestrian Power Will Generate Holiday Lights at Shibuya Station, Tokyo

    Tokyo's Shibuya train has a special installation for Christmas that uses its pedestrians' footsteps to generate electricit. A mat using piezoelectric gadgetry runs a LED display board and a small holiday lights display.

    The roughly 35-inch squared mat near the Hachiko dog statue at Shibuya station generates roughly 0.5W every time someone weighing 132 lbs steps on it. The amount of foot power it's already harvested is displayed on an LED wall.

    Strangely, the installation will only be there until the 25th. I guess the Japanese are really good with taking their holiday lights down as soon as Christmas is over? [Digital World Tokyo]


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