A test project to generate power from pedestrians has been halted in Southern Italy after a spate of accidents.
The project, run by the Apulia Instituto di Energia Cinetica, replicated the technology used by companies like Pavegen – where pedestrians walk over a step to generate electricity.
The local municipality is a tourist trap in the summer months with more than 500,000 vistors to the ancient town, the hope was the paving could help generate excess power to help with sustainability.
However the trial stopped after locals kept tripping over especially the elderly and younger children. It appears the Kinetic energy harvesting (KEH) plates laid under the ancient slabs were too even, the older stones had been laid on rougher sand and so were more giving.
Fabio Cagare a town councillor explained the issue to local papers: “We had many people tripping up and falling, one nonna (granny) took a very bad fall and sprained her wrist. Then many children ran over them and tripped up too. Even though we liked the idea of being more green, this is not worth it.”
Dr Noci Dell’Cazzo who was leading the trial admitted it was not something they had considered and a re-design of the kinetic plates would now take place:
“The techology works and we have seen it around the world but they are all modern pads which don’t look in keeping with historic towns. We designed these plates to lie under the old slabs but of course, we now know they were so uneven that is why they worked, we need to see if we can make a more flexible plate to cope with these older streets.”
The three week trial did generate power though and it’s hoped it can be reinstated as the footfall of these ancients towns could produced enough local energy to power street lights and street kitchens.
