A device capable of producing tiles when you walk on it is developed by students from Iqra University Karachi.
This isn’t a new invention by any means, but these Electric Generating Tiles are the first of its kind made locally in Pakistan.
The way this works is that the device is equipped with a piezoelectric sensor, which uses crystals that produce electricity when pressure is exerted on them. It requires minimal maintenance and can last up to three to four years, provided that no water gets into it.
One of the students who worked on the device, Ghalib Nadeem said,
All people have to do is walk on the grass and it would automatically make electricity. If we walk on it for five to seven hours, a phone’s battery could be charged.
The power generated by these tiles can be stored as well. Nadeed added that if installed over an area of 300 meters squared, it can charge up to 7-8 UPS batteries within two hours.
One of its biggest plus points is that the tiles were made using locally available materials, which makes them cheap and easy to manufacture.
The mentor of the students, Shiraz, said that the device could be used in crowded areas such as parks, airport terminals or busy roads. Doing so could easily provide a potential energy solution for Pakistan.
The device took 1.5 years to make and had another 2 years of research behind it. It cost around Rs. 120,000, but Shiraz said that the cost increased because the students were inexperienced when they started the project.
