Design and Fabrication of Power Harnessing Sole

S.Karthikeyan1, *, C.J.Dhakshina moorthy2, **, A.Jayashree3, ***, A.Arun kumar 4, ****,

P.Pavithra5, *****
1,2,3,4,5
Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Maharaja Engineering College,
Avinashi-641 654, TN, India.
*e-mail: knskarthi@gmail.com, Tel: +91 99521 36233,
**e-mail: cjdhakshu@gmail.com, Tel: +91 8807177291,
***e-mail: jayashree.sa22@gmail.com, Tel: +91 8056714070,
****e-mail: arunarivu5005@gmail.com, Tel: +91 9585053844,
*****e-mail: pavithra2429@gmail.com, Tel: +91 8489590308.

Abstract - The invention comprises a means for
generating energy while walking or running for
storage in a rechargeable battery by the shoe. One
embodiment uses lever arm movement in the heel of a
shoe resulting from normal walking or running to
generate energy from a built-in generator. The linear
or rotational motion of the lever arm engages the
circular gear assembly and turns the generator, thus
generating power. A smart charging circuit that
efficiently controls battery charging from a generator
output that varies with step rate and force.
I. INTRODUCTION
Norman Landry, the inventor of Shoe sole
with Liquid-powered Electrical generator explains that
the ambulatory foot movement inside the shoe puts
pressure on the fluid and makes it flow from one
chamber area to another. Contained between the
chambers is a turbine that is mounted on rotary
bearings and positioned within the path of the fluid
flow. Due to foot motion, the fluid will flow in an
oscillatory fashion while ambulating and thereby
cause the turbine to turn. The second or top layer of
the sole is a pad that contains one or more
dynamometric generators that are coupled by
mechanical or magnetic systems to the first layer, such
that the action of fluid flow in the first layer imparts
rotary motion to the turbine, thereby resulting in the
generation of electricity within the second layer. The
coupling system(s) may also include gearing or other
drive componentry to increase or decrease the speed of
the turbine relative to the speed of fluid flow [12].
Electrical energy is therefore generated from the
ambulatory motion and can be stored within a
rechargeable battery or capacitor, and can be utilized
directly for multiple purposes such, as to supply
energy to lighting, heating, cooling and
communication equipment [12].
The subjected invention has the unique
characteristics that Converts human motion to power
by means of a miniaturized generator using a lever arm
rack and a round pinion design, all located in or on the
shoe sole and Provides an advanced battery charger
controller that can function with the latest, non-toxic
battery chemistries and can provide a controlled
charge current from a generator output that varies with
step rate and force which can raise the generated
energy to the amplifier. Thus, it is apt to introduce this
invention as Power Harnessing Sole.
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A. Overview of our project
The combined basic knowledge in the field of
mechanics, electrical, electronics and biomechanics
are lead to the development of Power Harnessing Sole.
The Power Harnessing Sole is the sole which
can generate the power by the action of walking or
running by wearing the shoe containing the specialized
soles which constructed with the combo of Mechanical
and electronic components.
III. CONSTRUCTION
The Power Harnessing Shoe is constructed
with the integration of many assemblies as it is done
with the three phases: they are Mechanical, Electrical-
Electronics and footwear phase. After the completion
of three phases they are combined together to their
corresponding designed positions. The two phases of
the power harnessing sole are follows.
A. Mechanical phases
The overall mechanical construction is done
in this phase. This phase of the construction is
undergone with the consideration of all the mechanical
aspects that may arise the vibrations, breakages in the
system etc., The step by step processes involved the
mechanical phase of construction are as follows.
1. Design Making
The mechanical design is made with the
consideration of all the forces to be acted, loads to be
placed, motions of the work, etc., it is the first most
process in the mechanical construction.
2. Material Choosing
The suitable materials are collected for the
development of the mechanical construction. The
material should withstand all the whole setup of the
robot.
3. Construction of the Sheet metal base
The base can be created in the outsole with
the sheet metal to fix the components for generation of
the Power with that. It can be cut on following the
dimension of the gap created on the outsole, by proper
marking of the dimensions.
4. Fixing of the fram4e
The frame which can be made from the sheet
metal by absolute folding on the basis of the marked
dimensions. It can drilled for mounting the gears,
generators and the lever arm. It can be fixed with the
base by the tightening of Nuts and
Bolts.
5. Mounting of Components in the frame
The components like the pinion gear,
generator and lever arm can be mounted here. The
distance between the generator and pinion can be
2.3cm.
6. Attaching the flywheel and one-way clutch
The flywheel and the one way clutch can be
attached with the generator on its
shaft.
7. Fixing the sheet metal with Insole
The sheet metal can be stitched with the
insole by the stainless steel string. Here the sheet metal
can be the dimension same as the heel portion of the
insole.
8. Clamping of lever arm
The lever arm which can be mounted on the
metal frame can be clamped with the insole sheet
metal.
9. Mounting the compression spring
The compression spring can be mounted in
the Posterior portion of the insole and the base fixed in
the outsole.
B. Electrical-Electronics phase
The electric and electronic components are
assembled in this phase of construction.
1. Connecting generator PC board
The two ends of the generator can be
connected with the components fixed in the PC-board.
Here the output from the generator of 50mV can be
given to the Op-amp LM741 through the resistor as the
input and at the other end amplified output of 3.4V can
be generated and it can be fed to the battery.
2. Output module
The output module can be provided here for
the external charging purpose or for any interfacing of
device. Here the GPS tracking device can be interfaced
for using the generated output power supply.
C. Footwear phase
In this phase of construction, the tanned
materials and other footwear components can be
assembled.
1. Fixing of insole
Here the insole can be fixed with the outsole
at the anterior portion of both the materials, between
which the mechanical and electronic parts are placed
at the posterior portion.
IV. WORKING
The Fig. 1 shows the functional block diagram
of the power harnessing sole which is given below.
Fig. 1
The lever arm has affixed to the insole
with its means, such as a linear rack gear, for engaging
a circular pinion gear assembly attached to a
miniaturized DC generator.
As a person walks, the lever arm deflects by
the torsional springs, e.g., moves up and down, due to
the action of the heel to generate input torque. As a
result, the linear rack gear, engaged with the circular
pinion gear assembly, causes the circular gear
assembly, and therefore the attached generator to turn
and generate power. The generator contains a flywheel
with a one-way clutch and gear assembly to assure a The Power harnessing sole can be fabricated
continuous generation of electricity. Movement of the on the basis of not to waste the human effort, but to
gear assembly rotates a flywheel that is directly convert it with power generating facility. So, in this
coupled with the generator. type the rack and pinion mechanism has been
implemented to convert the human motion for rotating
The energy requirement and the ergonomic the generator.
factor will determine the gear ratio and the mass of the
flywheel. This work is proportional to the force and The implementation of this idea can be added
the displacement of the shoe heel. In the shoe heel with another different inclusion of approach
design, even though the force will be much higher mechanically such as miniaturized Hydraulic system,
owing to the high kinetic energy generated by using Pneumatic system etc., to make the energy generation
the human body's weight momentum, the continuously without any system failure to take the
displacement of the shoe heel is limited by the footwear of human to the next step of evolution. The
ergonomic factor. Using a displacement of 9.8in., each Fig. 2 shows the original image of the invention.
shoe can generate up to a conceptual maximum of 4
Watts of power. The working of this Power
Harnessing can be explained with a detailed block
diagram.
Electrical energy from the generator is
coupled through a non-dissipative, pulse width
regulating unit of Op-Amp which tracks the
instantaneous generator output voltage and produces a
constant voltage for charging the lithium ion (or other
suitable chemistry) batteries. This topology permits
effective and efficient charging of the batteries even
though variations in step rate and impact force can
result in an extremely wide generator output-voltage
range. Fig. 2

The subject invention is a unique power A. Advantages

conversion, power management, and battery charge
 The weight can be quite less by using the
control module. The invention can be located in the
plastic gears instead in metal.
shoe sole and operated with any type of secondary
 Compact in construction.
(rechargeable) battery cells and accommodates any
 Maintenance is infrequent.
series and parallel cell configuration to allow for any
desired value of composite battery voltage and current
capacity.
VI. REFERENCES
Secondary batteries can be located within the
shoe construction. They can be in the form of an add- [1] Abernethy, Bruce; Vaughan kippers; stephian
on component or can be located elsewhere outside of J.Hanrahan ;Marcus G.Pandy;Alison
the shoe. M.McManus;Laurel Mackinnon. Biophysical
foundations of human movement(3rd ed.).
A significant benefit of the invention is that Champaign,IL: Human kinetics. P.84.
energy generated from human movement during
walking or running can generate power that can be [2] Anvit Kalra-Lall, “Power generating article of
stored in secondary batteries and managed by a custom apparel”, Anvit Kalra-Lall, May 2, 2013.
electronics circuit design for later usage.
[3] Besant C.B., and Lci C.W., “Computer-Aided
V. RESULT AND FUTURE SCOPE
Design and Computer-Aided Manufacture”, East West
The Power Harnessing Sole is implemented Press. Ltd., New Delhi,1998.
successfully and that can be fixed in the shoes used by
the mankind normally. Hence the locomotion of the [4] Biggs J.M, “Introduction to Structural dynamics”,
human can be converted into energy through the McGraw-Hill, NewYork,1964.
biomechanics involving in it.
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biomechanics”, Journal of biomechanics.

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[11] Maini, A.K. (2008) Electronics and

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[12] Norman Landry, “Shoe sole with liquid powered

electrical generator”, Norman Landry, March
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[13] Rao S.S., “Mechanical Vibrations”, prentice

Hall, Inc., 2003.

[14] Robert A. Connor, “Wearable device to generate

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[15] Wei Yang, “A footwear energy harvesting

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