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Welcome to Velo Vision magazine, covering specialised bikes, cycling as transport and human power. It's a quarterly dose of cycle inspiration.The current issue is Issue 16. The next issue is out early March 2005.
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Heard the one about the bionic shoe?OK, it's not cycling, but it is human power. A shoe capable of generating useful amounts of electricity from the normal impacts of walking is being developed by the inventor of the clockwork radio, Trevor Bayliss. Bayliss is working with textile manufacturer Texon International to develop the shoe, which would be well-placed to capitalise on the trend towards 'wearable' computing and ever more 'personal electronics'. However, other applications have also been proposed, including helping to power prosthetic limbs or to power flashing lights on clothing. Two models are under test, one using a miniature dynamo and one-way clutch to convert the compression of the shoe's heel with each stride into electrical energy. The other system is perhaps more promising, using piezo-electric elements to convert the heel impacts directly into electricity without requiring moving parts. The company hopes to raise over a million pounds to fund the development of the idea, and further finance would be needed to put it into production. Sources: The Electric Shoe Company Professional Engineering magazine: November 2000 Posted on 14 December 2000 Your comments ...
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