The next step in digital flooring
Categories: Materials Design Energy and sustainability
Kinetic energy innovators, Pavegen, yesterday revealed the latest addition to their growing family of energy generating floor tiles. In a glamorous, live-streamed unveiling at BAFTA, Piccadilly, the company introduced a revolutionary new product, known as V3.
The latest technology is designed with aesthetics as well as functionality in mind, featuring a slick triangular design that boasts a power generation 200 times greater than original model, first manufactured in 2009. Flywheels hidden beneath each tile rotate with the weight of people walking above, generating small amounts of electricity through electromagnetic induction.
The newly designed tile shape incorporates an energy harnessing flywheel at each corner, maximising energy output and data capture, and ensuring that every footstep counts. The electricity generated by the tiles can then be used to meet low-voltage, off-grid energy needs, such as bringing illuminated billboards to life, or powering street lighting in crowded areas.
The durable nature of the tiles, along with their simplicity, means Pavegen can generate clean, renewable energy whenever, and wherever it is needed. The tiles themselves are fully customisable, reflecting any brand identity, and can be seamlessly incorporated into any indoor or outdoor space.
In addition to a highly efficient energy capture system, the new technology has improved data applications, analysing patters of use, footfall tracking and even heat mapping, allowing perfect integration within a smart city infrastructure. The upgraded tiles will be trialled later this year on Oxford Street in London, in collaboration with TfL.
Pavegen CEO and Founder Laurence Kemball-Cook said, “This is the biggest moment in Pavegen’s history. We’ve created a product that can reshape the way people move in our cities, and with current digitisation our ability to connect physical and digital worlds through a single footstep places us at the forefront of the footfall energy-harvesting market.”
Current permanent installations of Pavegen technology include three UK schools, the entrance of a large office building, and even an installation in Federation Square, Melbourne. Units are also available in modular form for use at events, such as those seen at the launch of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Ambassador Network in 2014.
Two installations of the latest technology have already been confirmed, with one set to take over Westfield London, the largest shopping centre in Europe.
