Just walk for a kilometre and you can produce enough power to charge your mobile or laptop! Developed by Subhranshu Banerjee - a 8th standard student from Odisha - this innovative answer to energy woes is one among many solutions to India’s problems that children have presented at the 101st Indian Science Congress here.

Subhranshu, a student of ODM Public School at Bhubaneswar, has developed a system that is fitted in a shoe wherein if a person walks for one kilometre, he or she can produce enough power to charge batteries of their mobiles, laptops and other gadgets.

“My concept is based on usage of piezo cell. This cell has to be fitted in a shoe’s sole and is connected with a battery. Whenever a person will walk, this cell will produce power which will be stored in the battery,” Subhranshu told dna.

“At present, if a person wears this shoe and walks one kilometre, then he or she can produce enough power that can charge battery of a smartphone and in few cases laptops too,” he said.

It took Subhranshu around six months to complete his project and it costs Rs100 if price of the shoe is excluded. He is trying to rope in shoe manufactures to commercialise his product and is also preparing to introduce it in his school with help of the school authorities.

Subhranshu explained that he got this idea while he was thinking of routine energy woes in our lives as so many times gadgets stop working when there is no power.

Another student, who was keenly looking at Subhranshu’s project, said not only this would solve power woes for people who are on the move but will also improve health of people as they would walk more.