A system to utilise kinetic energy from commuters’ footsteps has been installed at Leighton Buzzard railway station in Bedfordshire.
Funded by the Department of Transport through the £22.9 million ADEPT SMART places Live Labs Programme, Pavegen and Central Bedfordshire Council, who’re behind the project, say they aim to make sure the benefits reach far beyond Bedfordshire.
Using Leighton Buzzard as an initial platform, the project seeks to encourage other transport hubs to follow suit and go green with pioneering technology like Pavegen.
Leighton Buzzard Railway Station now has two Pavegen walkways both made up of its kinetic floor tiles. Pavegen says it will use those walkways to engage the 1.75 million strong community travelling to and from Leighton Buzzard, bringing messages to life and raising awareness for sustainability and the organisations dedication to it.
Pavegen will be also working alongside Central Bedfordshire Council to demonstrate how digital engagement through the array can help the high street in these challenging times, using the reward scheme, through the supplementary Pavegen App.
Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire whose constituency includes Leighton Buzzard said, “I like the fact that it engages people, involves exercise and it is creating clean electricity all the time. I think that connection between people and the energy being created through movement is a really good join up.”
Central Bedfordshire Council, which secured £1.05m for its Live Labs programme, has partnered with Ringway Jacobs, West Midlands Trains and technology provider Pavegen, to create the project. The aim is to engage visitors, showcase the council’s green credentials and to power two USB charging benches, and a digital data screen. The data screen will show commuters their contribution and can host important messages.
The project is one of eight local authority led Live Labs aiming to transform local places and highways through piloting innovation across energy, data, materials and mobility.
Giles Perkins, Live Labs Programme Director said, “The untapped footfall energy at our transport hubs represents a real opportunity to provide sustainable energy sources to power bespoke applications, while engaging audiences and encouraging behavioural change. This trial will help demonstrate the viability of the technology and could be a step change in the way transport hubs engage with commuters.”
Pavegen is a UK based start-up founded by Laurence Kemball-Cook. The technology has been installed over 200 times across 37 different countries, with applications aimed at city development, infrastructure and destinations such as transport hubs, venues and stadiums. Anywhere with high footfall.
(Picture l-r: Jack Bowers (CBC), Cllr Steve Dixon (CBC), Martin Heeley (Ringway Jacobs), Hannah Bartram (ADEPT), Cllr Ian Dalgarno (CBC) Laurence Kemball-Cook, (Pavegen) & Sanjay Patel (Ringway Jacobs) – courtesy ADEPT Live Labs)
