Authors: Madhur M.Kamate, Parth S.Parik, Darshan B.Patil, Samarth N.Taralekar, Ms.S.C.Raynade
Abstract: In recent years, the rapid growth of global energy demand, along with the ongoing depletion of traditional fossil fuel resources, has made the need for sustainable, renewable, and decentralized energy solutions more urgent. Traditional energy generation methods are increasingly unable to meet rising consumption while ensuring environmental sustainability. Among the various alternative approaches, capturing human kinetic energy produced during everyday activities has emerged as a promising and eco-friendly solution. Human movement, especially in crowded public areas, is an underused and always available energy source. This paper presents the design and implementation of a footstep-based electricity generation system that uses piezoelectric sensors to convert human movements into usable electrical power. The system works on the principle of the piezoelectric effect, where mechanical pressure from footsteps is turned into electrical energy. The electrical output produced is usually alternating and highly variable. It is processed to ensure stable operation through rectification, filtering, and conditioning with appropriate power electronic circuits. A buck-boost converter regulates the voltage levels effectively and allows for the reliable storage of the collected energy in rechargeable batteries. An Arduino-based microcontroller is included for smart monitoring, which provides real- time readings of voltage levels, footstep counts, and system performance displayed on a 16×2 LCD module. The stored energy is used to power low- power DC devices like LEDs and mobile charging ports, as well as AC loads through an inverter circuit. Experimental tests show that the generated power increases with the load and footstep frequency. This demonstrates the potential for deploying the system in high-footfall public spaces such as railway stations, shopping malls, and smart city infrastructures.
