Orange’s Power Generating Boots

Following last year’s conceptual solar-powered tent, mobile phone company Orange has revealed another design to help festival-goers charge electronics off the grid.

Instead of a photovoltaic shelter, the invention for 2010 is a pair of boots that can convert heat energy from feet into electricity.

Orange explains how it works:

After a full days festival frolics you can plug your phone into the power output at the top of the welly and use the energy that has been generated throughout the day to charge your phone. The power collected in the ‘power generating sole’ is collected via a process known as the ‘Seebeck’ effect. Inside the power generating sole there are thermoelectric modules constructed of pairs of p-type and n-type semiconductor materials forming a thermocouple. These thermocouples are connected electrically forming an array of multiple thermocouples (thermopile). They are then sandwiched between two thin ceramic wafers. When the heat from the foot is applied on the top side of the ceramic wafer and cold is applied on the opposite side, from the cold of the ground, electricity is generated.

Orange Newsroom: “Here Comes The Hot Stepper… Orange unveils the Orange Power Wellies”