Two researchers Tom Krupenkin and J. Ashley Taylor at University of Wisconsin at Madison have developed a shoe insert that uses the impact of your footsteps to generate electricity. The device converts mechanical motion into electrical energy at a high enough power to recharge cell phones, cameras, etc. The idea has led to the creation of a company named "InStep NanoPower" which is trying to commercialize the technology.  The potential market for this technology is very broad and includes both civilian and military segments with the total value over $ 17,000 M.

InStep NanoPower have developed an inexpensive simple high-power energy harvester capable of converting mechanical energy to electrical power providing up to 20 Watts, which can dramatically extend the capabilities and operational times of a wide range of mobile electronic devices.

When humans walk, the mechanical energy is captured and converted to electrical energy by a novel microfluidic device through the interaction of thousands of liquid microdroplets with a groundbreaking nanostructured substrate.

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