Potholed roads are an eyesore. Nobody wants to drive on them, but these alone made perfect drivers, and will now help generate electricity. A new kind of shock absorber has recently been developed by Levant Power Corporation that harvests the power of potholes to generate energy. Called the GenShocks, the new shock absorbers will use the kinetic energy of bumps and jolts to generate watts, which would be used to run the vehicle’s windshield wipers, fans or dashboard lights, for example.
The new shocks look much like their ordinary counterpart and can be plugged into a power box that regulates the electricity they produce, putting it out at a voltage required by the truck, car or bus. The device can be installed both in ordinary and hybrid vehicles, and also helps lower the fuel consumption by 1 to 6 percent, depending on the vehicle and road conditions. GenShocks availability is expected by second quarter of 2011.
Via: NY Times