In the 1960s, Agent Maxwell Smart’s shoephone was a high-tech marvel. Now a Pittsburgh startup is taking the concept to the next step with an insole that charges cellphones as you walk.
SolePower is the brainchild of Hahna Alexander and Matt Stanton, recent Carnegie Mellon grads, who, in less than a year, are AlphaLab graduates, ready to begin testing of a functional prototype. They’ve attracted the interest of the military (as a potential market) and national media and have been finalists in two national competitions. In less than two weeks, their Kickstarter campaign was more than halfway to its $50,000 goal and the company, which employs six fulltime, is about to move into its own offices in Pittsburgh.
The company is moving quickly to commercialization, and Stanton expects to be able to accept orders no later than December 2014.
SolePower’s patent-pending technology captures the energy in a step normally lost to the surrounding environment and converts it into usable electrical power for mobile electronic devices such as cellphones and GPS. The mechanism is embedded within a waterproof insole that can be slipped into any shoe. The power generated is stored in an external battery and accessed via micro or mini USB ports. The user does not need to remove the insole, and does not need to attach their electronic devices to their footwear.
Alexander and Stanton have identified several potential markets, starting with outdoor enthusiasts, a $7 billion market. “They’re often off the grid for long periods time, but need their cellphones, GPS and compasses,” says Alexander.
For the military, the device offers potential to charge an array of electronics, while significantly lightening the load that servicepeople have to carry on their backs. Similarly, the product has huge potential in developing nations, where electrical service is often so unreliable that cellphones are sometimes sold with solar collectors.
Sources: Hahna Alexander and Matt Stanton, SolePower
Writer: Elise Vider
