Prototypes of Footstep Voltage Generation on Different Tiles Placement Using Piezoelectric Sensors

Technology advancements in energy harvesting have been sparked by increasing demand for renewable energy sources that are sustainable. This research work outlines the development and experiment of a prototype of piezoelectric voltage generation for energy harvesting from human footsteps. The study addresses the feasibility of generating electricity by converting mechanical energy from the vibrations generated by foot traffic in public areas such as stairs and entrance doors. The objectives of this study are to implement a sustainable and efficient method of generating electricity using piezoelectric materials, explore, and also optimize the mechanical design of the prototype to maximize the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy. The proposed system was developed on 2 different devices which are Tile A (25 parallel and 5 series sensor connections) and Tile B (20 parallel and 5 series sensor connections) and tested under different circumstances such as different tile placements, weights, and conditions which are 100, 200, and 300 steps to address the consistency on each predetermined parameter. Furthermore, the final system has the highest voltage generated up to 0.98 V from tile A and 2.54 V from tile B. This is due to the different approach of human footsteps when stepping on stairs and entrance door.