IIT Indore Unveils Advanced Shoes with TENG Technology

August 12, 2024

IIT Indore has created advanced shoes using a special technology called Tribo-Electric Nanogenerator (TENG). These shoes are designed to improve safety and efficiency for armed forces personnel but could also be useful in many other areas.

What is TENG Technology?

TENG technology works by turning the movement of your steps into electrical energy. As you walk, the energy from each step is collected and stored in the shoe. This stored energy can then be used to power small electronic devices. The shoes also have built-in GPS technology, which allows for real-time location tracking. This feature helps military personnel stay aware of where they are and coordinate better with others.

Safety and Efficiency in Military Operations

The real-time location data from the shoes can greatly enhance safety and coordination for soldiers, helping them stay connected and aware of their environment. Beyond military use, these shoes could also be useful in sports for tracking athletes’ movements and in health monitoring for elderly people, children, and even for managing attendance in factories.

Delivery to DRDO

The first set of 10 pairs of these high-tech shoes has been sent to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for testing and evaluation. This project is led by Professor Suhas Joshi at IIT Indore, with support from Professor I A Palani, demonstrating the institution’s dedication to developing cutting-edge technology.

About Tribo-Electric Nanogenerator (TENG)

Tribo-Electric Nanogenerators (TENGs) are devices that turn movement into electrical energy using a special effect called the triboelectric effect. They work by using two different materials that create an electric charge when they touch and then separate.

TENGs can collect energy from things we do every day, like walking or feeling vibrations. They can be made from a variety of materials, including polymers (a type of plastic) and metals, which makes them very flexible and useful. They are lightweight and can be easily worn, making them ideal for use in wearable technology.

These devices are also helpful in powering sensors in places where it’s hard to get power, like remote or isolated areas. This makes them valuable for applications in the Internet of Things (IoT), which connects devices over the Internet. TENGs can be quite efficient, converting more than 60% of the mechanical energy they capture into electrical energy. This high efficiency shows that TENGs have great potential as a source of sustainable energy.

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