Boots are made for power

Wise Young · 10-13-2001, 07:31 AM

Interesting way to generate electricity, with an electricity-generating polymer built into a boot and which charges a battery as people walk.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scite...dge011012.html

I was just thinking that something like this could be built into the wheelchair seat cushions so that every time people lift and shift their weight (to avoid pressure sores), it would not only generate electricity to charge a battery but alsoo provide people with a quantifiable amount of weight-shifting so that they know when they are doing enough.

Wise.

marmalady · 10-13-2001, 04:50 PM

Hi, Wise,

There is a fairly new cushion on the market - made by a former aeronautics engineer for one of his employees who is a para, and got so involved in his production he forgot to do his pressure releases, and was out of commission with pressure sores a lot.

The cushion is a low air-pressure cushion; runs on a battery pack which holds a charge for about 24 hours and can be recharged in 1 1/2 hours; The cushion has a series of air 'tubes' and runs a cycle every eight minutes, (I think). Matt got one about two months ago and loves it! Absolutely does not take the place of weight shifts, but certainly provides a booster.

You can reach them at www.easecushion.com

We have a video and info, if you'd like to see it.

Wise Young · 10-13-2001, 11:56 PM

Thanks, Marmalady. There are a number of so-called "active" cushions on the market and they help to some extent but does not eliminate the need to shift weight, in my opinion. I told one of the companies that they should make such cushions for able-bodied people who have to sit for long periods of time.

I was fascinated by the fact that people are trying to find ways to generate electricity from the various movements of the body. So, the particular news article was about putting an electricity generating plastic into a boot and this could charge a battery.

Since people are always shifting their weight on a cushion, it should be possible to harness the energy of the shifting to charge a battery. That battery can then be used to contribute to an electric sock (foot-warmer), a cell phone, and perhaps even FES.

Most of the newer electrical assist wheelchairs (I rode in one from Yamaha) actually use the motors to generate electricity when the wheelchairs are going downhill, not only to brake the chair naturally but to recharge the battery, allowing the chairs to go much farther.

Wise.

Taylor, Rex · 09-30-2009, 02:34 PM

To Wise Young, I am the inventor and patent holder of the Ease Cushion you have been discussing. Not anything new, we have been marketing this product for 10 years and have many people with imobilizing injuries and diseases who depend every day of their lives on our products keeping their soft tissue healthy. I would like to point out that many of our systems users are totally incapable of doing any pressure lifts and shifts and totally depend on our "Active Cushioning Systems" for good circulation in areas that are sensative to pressure and tissue breakdown. Proof that our systems do work has been verified by over 3 years of testing in Air Force Research Laboritories, WPAFB, Ohio. Pilots belted into ejection seats flying long missions were getting skin breakdown for of the same reason a person in a wheelchair gets breakdown, long periods of unrelieved pressureforcing the blood out of compresses tissue. Air Force did something that has NEVER been done in the medical community, they went to the wheelchair cushioning products on the market, bought all of the popular types, gel, foam, air filled and composites made of a combination of these materials.. They also tested the major brands of "Active cushions" seeking to find the best cushion for pilots sitting for long periods. they tested the varoius types and the manufacturers had absolutly no influence on the results! In other words, they couldn't buy a clinical result they liked. The research team consisted of scientists, engineers, doctors and human factors people. There was only one critera that mattered: Find the best method possible to prevent skin breakdown. They bought and tested one of our commercial products, Best Seat and in the second year of testing contacted us and asked if we would be interested in working with them on the project. They continued testing for 2 more years and now are using our technology exclusivly. On our website you can acsess 26 pages of test data published by the Air Force comparing the various seating materials and test results. We believe we are building the best system available and the Air Forces testing seems to verify our belief. Just wanted you to know a bit more about what an easecushion is.

10-13-2001, 07:31 AM	#1
Wise Young Administrator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 37,975	Boots are made for power Interesting way to generate electricity, with an electricity-generating polymer built into a boot and which charges a battery as people walk. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scite...dge011012.html I was just thinking that something like this could be built into the wheelchair seat cushions so that every time people lift and shift their weight (to avoid pressure sores), it would not only generate electricity to charge a battery but alsoo provide people with a quantifiable amount of weight-shifting so that they know when they are doing enough. Wise.

10-13-2001, 04:50 PM	#2
marmalady Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 3,988	re power boots Hi, Wise, There is a fairly new cushion on the market - made by a former aeronautics engineer for one of his employees who is a para, and got so involved in his production he forgot to do his pressure releases, and was out of commission with pressure sores a lot. The cushion is a low air-pressure cushion; runs on a battery pack which holds a charge for about 24 hours and can be recharged in 1 1/2 hours; The cushion has a series of air 'tubes' and runs a cycle every eight minutes, (I think). Matt got one about two months ago and loves it! Absolutely does not take the place of weight shifts, but certainly provides a booster. You can reach them at www.easecushion.com We have a video and info, if you'd like to see it.

09-30-2009, 02:34 PM	#4
Taylor, Rex Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1	About Ease cushion To Wise Young, I am the inventor and patent holder of the Ease Cushion you have been discussing. Not anything new, we have been marketing this product for 10 years and have many people with imobilizing injuries and diseases who depend every day of their lives on our products keeping their soft tissue healthy. I would like to point out that many of our systems users are totally incapable of doing any pressure lifts and shifts and totally depend on our "Active Cushioning Systems" for good circulation in areas that are sensative to pressure and tissue breakdown. Proof that our systems do work has been verified by over 3 years of testing in Air Force Research Laboritories, WPAFB, Ohio. Pilots belted into ejection seats flying long missions were getting skin breakdown for of the same reason a person in a wheelchair gets breakdown, long periods of unrelieved pressureforcing the blood out of compresses tissue. Air Force did something that has NEVER been done in the medical community, they went to the wheelchair cushioning products on the market, bought all of the popular types, gel, foam, air filled and composites made of a combination of these materials.. They also tested the major brands of "Active cushions" seeking to find the best cushion for pilots sitting for long periods. they tested the varoius types and the manufacturers had absolutly no influence on the results! In other words, they couldn't buy a clinical result they liked. The research team consisted of scientists, engineers, doctors and human factors people. There was only one critera that mattered: Find the best method possible to prevent skin breakdown. They bought and tested one of our commercial products, Best Seat and in the second year of testing contacted us and asked if we would be interested in working with them on the project. They continued testing for 2 more years and now are using our technology exclusivly. On our website you can acsess 26 pages of test data published by the Air Force comparing the various seating materials and test results. We believe we are building the best system available and the Air Forces testing seems to verify our belief. Just wanted you to know a bit more about what an easecushion is.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

10-13-2001, 11:56 PM	#3
Wise Young Administrator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 37,975	Thanks, Marmalady. There are a number of so-called "active" cushions on the market and they help to some extent but does not eliminate the need to shift weight, in my opinion. I told one of the companies that they should make such cushions for able-bodied people who have to sit for long periods of time. I was fascinated by the fact that people are trying to find ways to generate electricity from the various movements of the body. So, the particular news article was about putting an electricity generating plastic into a boot and this could charge a battery. Since people are always shifting their weight on a cushion, it should be possible to harness the energy of the shifting to charge a battery. That battery can then be used to contribute to an electric sock (foot-warmer), a cell phone, and perhaps even FES. Most of the newer electrical assist wheelchairs (I rode in one from Yamaha) actually use the motors to generate electricity when the wheelchairs are going downhill, not only to brake the chair naturally but to recharge the battery, allowing the chairs to go much farther. Wise.