Our search for new age technology which can help in powering cities of the future has finally come to an end. A team of scientists at the NASA Kennedy Space Centre has placed a unique Piezoelectric Tiles based path way for the visitors which can smartly light the way for the people visiting this facility. This tile has been developed by a team of researchers in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Research Institute with a generous contribution of $2 million from NASA.

How the Piezoelectric Tiles Work?

Researchers worked tirelessly to build a massive 40,000 square foot lighted area which works as an outdoor footpath at the facility and it essentially help in showcasing the application of the piezoelectricity which also acts a renewable energy. Whenever a person walks on the Piezoelectric Tiles helps in generating a relatively small electrical charge due to the compressing, vibration or flexing of the titles. This simple and rational way helps in harnessing clean electrical energy for the visitor complex with ease and simplicity. In order to create these renewable energy researchers had also made use of quite think ceramic disk of lead zirconate titanate in order to emit the response these unique tiles. In order words this materials helps in enhancing the capability of the tiles and help-s in harnessing more electricity through the movements of visitors upon the tiles.

How this new Piezoelectric Tiles pathway was laid?

Researchers wanted to harness as much electricity as possible with the use of Piezoelectric Tiles. Therefore they worked towards creating the floor cavities having extremely thin as well as high performance concrete. Secondly each of these cavities was infused a complex system of modern electronics such as mini solar panels, circuit boards along with a battery and LEDs. It also has a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transmitter part from the micro controllers and the piezoelectric elements.

Most of this engineering application of the piezoelectric elements is based on the research conducted by the scientists at Georgia Tech. Herein scientist made use of a method called plucking wherein they devised the way of vibrating the piezo element’s edge. This element has been found to have high resonant frequency which has been exploited on this pathway and ushered the biomechanical energy harvesting like never seen before.

The future application of these Piezoelectric Tiles

In near future we can turn are smart cities self sufficient when it comes to energy production through the renewable resources by lacing the roadways with pressure sensitive sensors producing electricity and much more. Apart from electricity it can even used for wireless communication, collection and distribution of the information related to roadways conditions and traffic. This will help in sharing such information with the new age autonomous vehicles as well as facilitating communication between different vehicles by making use of the wireless system. It can also help in bringing an age of incredible safety by allowing monitoring and sensing capabilities to the roads by simple application of the Piezoelectric Tiles.