British tech startup Pavegen on Wednesday announced the latest version of its energy-generating flooring.
The company debuted flooring tiles that could generate kinetic energy through footsteps in 2009. The newly announced V3, however, can create more than 200 times that initial power level. WIRED reported that the new version generates 5 watts per step.
Pavegen officials also said that the new triangular design maximizes energy output and that the system's drivers are 90 percent efficient — which ensures that the energy "is powered entirely through footfall."
Previous incarnations of Pavegen flooring were square patterns whose edges did not generate power, founder Laurence Kemball-Cook told WIRED.
(Image credit: Pavegen)The company suggested that the new flooring could be used to power off-grid lighting or even advertisements.
In addition, Pavegen said that it would increasingly emphasize smart floors and big data. The V3 tiles, for example, could analyze consumer patterns in real-time by tracking foot traffic.
Kemball-Cook added that the system can seamlessly integrate into cities as they transform the ways in which energy is collected and deployed.
"This is the biggest moment in Pavegen’s history," Kemball-Cook said in a statement. "We’ve created a product that can reshape the way people move in our cities."
WIRED reported that the new tiles are set to be installed at the Westfield shopping center and Oxford Street in London as well as Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.
