3 ms·
> There is no energy to be captured without adding friction to the existing situation. The point is that there is already added friction (we want cars to grip
by smileysteve 11y ago
> There is no energy to be captured without adding friction to the existing situation.
The point is that there is already added friction (we want cars to grip roads and feet to have cushioned impact) and wear (asphalt is a liquid). Cars already compress roadways, brake on them, etc. To the other extent, a flexible base could reduce some of the wear by adding flexibility.
For "Smart Steps" yes, they consumer energy from the walker, but the walker also has less impact on joints. Running tracks prefer absorbing surfaces (rubber) for the increased friction vs concrete - not absorbing energy.
- mangeletti 11y agoYour point is true, if we were to replace all the asphalt roads with a new form of road. I suspect the energy and material requirements for making an energy-capturing dampening system that feels similar to asphalt to the vehicles overhead would far outweigh the benefits (I'm picturing some sort of electrolyte putty with thousands of wire leads every meter, funneling microamps of energy into a the heavier wire in a conduit underneath).
- beat 11y agoYeah, whether it can be done cost-effectively is a different question.