MOUNT PLEASANT – Central Michigan University engineering students are constructing a new way to create electrical energy using the vibrations of pedestrian footsteps walking in and out of CMU’s Engineering and Technology building.

This energy harvester has been used so far to power a temperature display. But should this research be successful, CMU could create similar panels that could be installed in train stations and other high traffic areas so that these facilities can become self-sustainable power stations.

“This project is about generating energy through human steps and using that energy to sustain a system without batteries,” said Assistant Professor of Engineering Tolga Kaya. “This is a small prototype. If this works, similar panels could be installed in train stations and other high traffic areas so that these facilities can be self-sustainable and generate their own energy.”�

The panel was built as part of a senior design project for engineering students with a budget of $1,500. The panel is scheduled for completion in April. If the project is a success and the panel is self-sustainable, Kaya said it will remain in the entrance of the building in the future.

The project began in the fall with four students conducting the research that would make the second-semester design phase successful. For the students who created the project, ther’s a genuine interest in the technology that goes beyond the requirements of the course work.

“I have always had an interest in energy harvesters like wind turbines and power dams,”� said White Lake senior Robert Balma. “It’s fun to see something being powered from nothing.”

Canton senior Justin Scaparo says the project has been challenging, but the experience he’s getting has been very valuable.

“We’ve had to use a lot of our own research to be innovative in what we’re trying to do,”� Scaparo said. “We’re working together, bringing together pieces of our own expertise, to develop new applications using the technology that is out there. It gives me the opportunity to bring what I learn in class to life.”