-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --
Sep 08, 2005
Local Professor Invents Electricity-Generating Backpack
A Strafford, Pa. man has invented a backpack that could one day assist soldiers in the battle field, first responders in disasters such as the 2004 Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and kids on their walk to school.
Dr. Lawrence C. Rome, a professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and a Whitman Investigator at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Ma., invented the Suspended Load Backpack, and tested it with a team of three colleagues. The backpack has the rigid frame of a normal hiking backpack that the wearer puts on with straps; but the difference between normal backpacks and the Suspended Load Backpack is the position of the load (i.e. electronics, first aid supplies, or school books). The Suspended Load Backpack's load is suspended from the frame by vertically oriented springs, which allows up and down movement of the load with respect to the backpack frame, whereas normal backpack's loads are rigidly attached to the frame with no movement.
A small generator is attached to the backpack frame, which Dr. Rome used to produce the electricity.
Dr. Rome's invention is featured in the September 9th issue of the journal Science.
"Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan really changed the face of modern warfare," said Dr. Rome from his office in Strafford, Pa.
"Soldiers now carry GPS receivers, night vision goggles, headlamps, communication devices, and more. And with this technology, means of powering them becomes critical. Soldiers carry eighty pound backpacks, up to twenty pounds of which are spare batteries. Now, with the Suspended Load Backpack, electricity can be generated to power the equipment directly or to charge a lightweight rechargeable battery," Dr. Rome said.
When walking, the Suspended Load Backpack can generate up to 7.4 watts, more than enough power to simultaneously power an MP3 player, night vision goggles (or 3 LED headlamp), a PDA, a CMOS image decoder, a handheld GPS, Bluetooth, and a GSM terminal in talk mode.
Unexpectedly, this electrical power is generated almost for free; suspending the load appears to make walking more efficient.
"As humans walk, they vault over their extended leg, causing the hip to rise five to seven centimeters on each step. Since a normal backpack is connected to the hip, it must be lifted the five to seven centimeters also," Dr. Rome said.
"But with the Suspended Load Backpack, the load is not directly connected to hip, making it easier to walk and less strenuous on the back," he said.
And with making it less strenuous on the back, Dr. Rome has concluded that the pack could one day have a place at the home of kids nationwide.
A problem that has been discussed for years, the weight of school bags, could be helped by the Suspended Load Backpack because of its ability to take pressure of the back to support the load while walking.
Contact:
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pressoffice@lightningpacks.com
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