Japan's sound power generation said that it will strive to obtain more power than that envisaged for collecting energy from tens of microwatts to a few milliwatts of power to light up lighting fixtures. The company has developed a "power generation floor" that incorporates piezoelectric elements and has begun experimental introductions in public institutions. In addition, the company also released a thin product jointly developed with Toray in November 2010. By increasing the strength of the protective material, the thickness is reduced to about 1/3 of the original product, about 15mm. The product will be launched in 2011.
Although details such as the material, structure, and power generation capability of power generation components are not disclosed, an adult with a weight of 60 kg can instantaneously obtain a maximum output power of 0.1 to 0.3 W when walking on the upper body. Ordinary walking can generate electricity to light small LED lighting. The maximum sinking of the power generation floor is about 1mm, and it feels like walking on a soft carpet. According to the introduction of sound power generation, by working with floor material manufacturers, products that are free from discomfort when walking have been realized.
In this way, it is possible to illuminate the foot while walking without a power source, or to make a voice function as a guide for people with inconvenient eyes. Because it can also play a role in power outages, it is also effective in disaster prevention applications.