Tokyo subway flooring converts commuter footfalls into electricity

Heavy foot traffic at busy subway stations could soon be widely used to power station lighting and other electrical equipment thanks to technology currently being trialled in Tokyo.

In a small-scale experiment at Tokyo Station, one of the city's busiest subway stops, so-called hatsudenyuka floors were installed at station gates, hallways and staircases.

The technology features elements capable of generating piezoelectricity, which are embedded in 0.4mm flooring tiles and covered by a mat. The piezo elements convert the pressure and vibration of commuter footsteps into electricity, which is used to power the station's lights.

The experiment is being run by subway operator East Japan Railway Co, Tokyo's Keio University and public research body New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.

The trial, which started in 2006, was put on hold in March to analyse data, and early indications are that the energy harvesting system could be rolled out more widely. East Railway said it now hopes to eventually use the flooring as a clean source of supplementary power for other station technologies such as automatic ticket barriers and display panels.

Piezoelectricity applications have now been trialled at a number of locations around the world, including stations and nightclub dance floors, and while large-scale systems are yet be launched, wider roll out of the technology is being planned.

Research is also underway to use kinetic energy technologies for a number of different applications, such as recharging mobile electronic devices.