The VIVA Design Team at the Guangdong University of Technology in China has designed a self powered turnstile called Green Pass. Turnstiles are used thousands of times a day in subway and train stations or shopping malls and during large events such as the Olympic Games, wherever there are large crowds.
Source: VIVA Design Team
The Self-Powered Turnstile (Green Pass), combines the function of a normal turnstile which turns once when people pass through it, together with an energy harvesting generator. The system harnesses the kinetic energy of people passing through the turnstile to generate energy. The electricity produced is used to supply power requirements for swiping cards, inserting coins, tickets or counting the number of people passing through the turnstile.
The huge number of the turnstiles in the world will no longer need additional power supply, thereby reducing energy consumption, should this concept design be used in the future.
Source: VIVA Design Team
Recently, Green Pass won the "Gold Award" at the 2010 Taiwan LITE-ON Award ceremony.
Credit: VIVA Design Team
Top image source: Timewatch
For more read : Energy Harvesting and Storage for Electronic Devices 2010-2020
