Self Powered Fitness Equipment

Conventional electrochemical batteries power most of the portable and wireless electronic devices that are operated by electric power. In the past few years, electrochemical batteries and energy storage devices have improved significantly. However, battery lifespan and reliability often limit the abilities and the range of such applications of battery powered devices. Ambient energy sources can be considered and used to improve battery life span in some electronic applications to minimize product maintenance and operating cost. Power scavenging may enable electronic devices to be completely self- sustaining so that battery maintenance can eventually be eliminated. One of the most commonly used sources of human energy applications is a propelled bicycle (fitness or regular) which can generate electricity to power peripherals such as electronic display panels of the bicycle. A demonstration of human kinetic energy as ambient power source was investigated and tested with experimental implementations. The form of ambient energy source was the waste mechanical energy from fitness exercise bicycles which was converted to electrical energy and stored in battery banks for use in the system. An appropriate energy harvesting and storage system was built and demonstrated to investigate reliability of the fitness bicycle as an ambient energy source. This research was conducted as part of both independent study course and doctoral dissertation. Faculty and student major/minors from electrical engineering technology, manufacturing, and industrial design and development were involved in different levels of this research work. Both production and electronics laboratories were extensively used for this research.