Pavegen tiles harvest energy from footsteps. Designed for use in in high foot-traffic areas, the tiles convert the kinetic energy from footsteps of pedestrians into renewable electricity, which can be stored in a lithium polymer battery or used to power low-wattage, off-grid applications like street lighting, displays, speakers, alarms, signs, and advertising. Looking ahead, Pavegen’s approach offers a compelling blueprint for how pedestrian infrastructure could evolve into intelligent, energy-producing networks. As smart cities rise and foot‐traffic data becomes ever more valuable, imagine sidewalks, plazas and transit hubs not only powering lighting and signage, but also transmitting anonymised movement patterns to urban planners in real time. These “active floors” could help cities optimise crowd flows, reduce congestion and even integrate with localized air-quality or noise-monitoring systems.
By harnessing the simple mechanics of footsteps and coupling them with IoT connectivity and renewable storage, technologies like Pavegen highlight a transition in our built environment—from passive pathways to dynamic, interactive platforms that serve both people and the planet. Each time someone steps on the tile, a central light illuminates, “connecting” the person to the part they play in producing the 2.1 watts of electricity per hour the tiles can generate (and providing self-sufficient lighting for pedestrian crossings). The tiles are made from nearly 100-percent recycled materials (mostly rubber) and some marine grade stainless steel. They can be retrofitted to existing structures and are waterproof as well as designed to withstand outdoor conditions.
