Design and Build of Energy-Harvesting Stairs from Walking Using Slider-Crank Mechanism

Abstract

This research aims to design and develop a staircase system capable of harvesting electrical energy from everyday walking activities. The system utilizes a slider-crank mechanism combined with bevel gears and electromagnetic induction. It is designed to compress by 1.8 centimeters to avoid disturbing the user’s balance while efficiently transmitting force to rotate the generator. The testing was divided into two parts laboratory experiments and real-world installation using four stair steps. The results from field testing, conducted between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. over a period of 7 days, revealed that the system could generate an average of 628.89 joules of electrical energy per day from an average of 141.43 footsteps. The system produced an average voltage of 3.70 volts and an average current of 0.30 amperes. Further analysis indicated that the user’s body weight significantly affected the amount of harvested energy. When considering the actual impact forces from walking, the system achieved an average energy harvesting efficiency of 31.3%, which is higher than other technologies such as piezoelectric plates (approximately 10–15% efficiency) and reverse electrowetting (less than 25% efficiency). Moreover, the system can generate electrical energy during both the footstep impact and the spring’s return stroke, thereby increasing the opportunity for energy harvesting. The findings demonstrate the potential of this system to be installed in educational buildings, transportation hubs, or areas with frequent stair usage for powering lighting systems or IoT devices. Additionally, it can be developed as a modular system to support sustainable applications in diverse environments.