{{Short description|UK company}} {{multiple issues| {{advert|date=May 2019}} {{COI|date=January 2023}} }} {{DISPLAYTITLE:Pavegen}} {{Infobox company | name = Pavegen Systems | founder = Laurence Kemball-Cook | key_people = Laurence Kemball-Cook (CEO) }}
'''Pavegen Systems''' is a UK technology company that developed interactive floor tiles to convert footsteps into small amounts of electrical energy, data insights, and engagement points for global brands, businesses, and governments. The company was founded in 2009 by Laurence Kemball-Cook.
==History== Pavegen Systems was founded in 2009 by Laurence Kemball-Cook. Cook, a graduate in Industrial Technology and Design from Loughborough University, took on a university placement with E.ON, and proposed using footfall as a potential power source.<ref>[https://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/06/13/news/see-futuristic-flooring-lights-city-through-kinetic-energy-harvesting "See the futuristic flooring that lights up a city through kinetic energy harvesting"]. ''National Observer'', By Charles Mandel | June 13th 2016</ref>
The development of the first prototype of the Pavegen flooring tile was funded by a Royal Society of Arts International Design Directions prize. The tile that converts kinetic energy from footsteps into electricity, while collecting data about walking traffic patterns.<ref>[http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2016/01/22/six-inventions-that-are-cooler-than-sci-fi "Six inventions that are cooler than sci-fi"]. ''Niagara Falls Review'', Craig and Marc Kielberger. January 23, 2016</ref><ref>[http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/19/akon-and-shell-create-africas-first-human-and-solar-powered-football-pitch-5632012/ "Akon and Shell create Africa’s first human and solar powered football pitch"]. ''Metro'', Lee Thomas-Mason 19 Jan 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.360nobs.com/2016/01/akon-and-shell-partner-to-create-humansolar-powered-football-fields/ "Akon and Shell Partner To Create Human/Solar Powered Football Fields"]. ''360nobs'', January 20, 2016.</ref>
The first generation tile was made from recycled polymer, with the top surface made from recycled truck tires. Power is generated when a footfall compresses the slab by about {{Convert|5|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}. The exact technology is a secret, but PaveGen officials have said it involves electromagnetic induction by copper coils and magnets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pavement-pounders-at-paris-marathon-generate-power/|title=Energy-Harvesting Street Tiles Generate Power from Pavement Pounder|date=20 April 2013|website=Scientific American|last1=Khadilkar|first1=Dhananjay|accessdate=20 April 2015}}</ref> Pavegen says each pedestrian generates enough to run an LED street lamp for 30 seconds.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news |last=Webster |first=George |date=13 October 2011 |title=Green sidewalk makes electricity -- one footstep at a time |newspaper=CNN International |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/13/tech/innovation/pavegen-kinetic-pavements/index.html |access-date=14 October 2011}}</ref> The technology was developed by Pavegen founder Laurence Kemball-Cook.<ref>{{cite web|last=Periani |first=Marconi |title=TEDxRio+20 Speakers |url=http://en.tedxrio20.com/index.php/conteudo/tema/13 |publisher=TedxRio |accessdate=July 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427223512/http://en.tedxrio20.com/index.php/conteudo/tema/13 |archivedate=April 27, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Ellis|first=Emma Grey|date=13 June 2016|title=The Best New Green Energy Tech Could Be Right Underfoot|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/06/best-new-gren-energy-tech-right-underfoot/|magazine=Wired|access-date=2016-06-13|quote=He began developing the technology while studying design at Loughborough University, and developed the first prototype in all of 15 hours.}}</ref>
An improved tile was developed in 2016, which according to the company improved energy conversion by 'about 20 times'.<ref>[https://www.wired.co.uk/article/pavegen-tile-power-generation-london "Pavegen's power-generating floor is coming to Oxford Street"]. ''Wired'', By Rowland Manthorpe. 11 May 2016</ref> The amount of energy generated has been criticised, with one calculation claiming that walking for 4 hours on PaveGen paving would generate 0.02% of the average European's energy needs.<ref name=page>[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/26/pavegen_the_company_that_cant_make_energy_out_of_crowds_tries_to_make_money_out_of_them/?page=2 "Pavegen: The Company that can't make energy out of crowds tries to make money out of them"]. ''The Register'', 26 May 2015. Lewis Page</ref> It has been suggested that the technology's strength rests in its ability to track volume and direction of traffic flow, thus providing useful metrics in a range of scenarios.<ref name=page />
Among other installations, the slabs have been laid at London's West Ham Underground station for the 2012 Olympic Games.<ref name=energylivenews>{{cite news|url=http://www.energylivenews.com/2012/07/11/foot-power-lights-up-olympic-walkway/|accessdate=13 July 2012|website=energylivenews|date=13 July 2012|title=Foot power lights up Olympic walkway|first=Vicky |last=Ellis}}</ref> In April 2013, a demonstration installation with Schneider Electric harvested energy from the runners in the Paris Marathon.<ref name=SA42013>{{cite news|title=Energy-Harvesting Street Tiles Generate Power from Pavement Pounder|url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pavement-pounders-at-paris-marathon-generate-power|accessdate=2013-04-22|newspaper=Scientific American|date=April 20, 2013|author=Dhananjay Khadilkar}}</ref> PaveGen has also put these tiles on a public soccer field in Rio de Janeiro to allow play after sunset.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/11/floor-tile-generates-power-from-footsteps-energy-electricity-startup "The floor tiles that use foot power to light up cities "]. ''The Guardian'', Killian Fox. 11 January 2015</ref>
A study of a central building at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, suggested that if pavers covered the 3.1% of the floor that sees the most foot traffic, it would generate an estimated 1.1 megawatt-hour per year, about 0.5% of the building's energy needs.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Li|first1=Xiaofeng|last2=Strezov|first2=Vladimir|title=Modelling piezoelectric energy harvesting potential in an educational building|journal=Energy Conversion and Management|volume=85|pages=435–442|doi=10.1016/j.enconman.2014.05.096|year=2014}}</ref>
In 2012, Pavegen raised £350,000 through London Business Angels, which helped the company create a tangible business.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lbangels.co.uk|title=Private Investing {{!}} Newable|website=www.lbangels.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725200757/https://www.lbangels.co.uk/|archive-date=2017-07-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2015, the company raised £1.9m through the Crowdcube platform, allowing them to gain 1500 investors and valued the company at about £17m.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crowdcube.com/investment/pavegen-systems-ltd-19189|title=Pavegen raising £750,000 investment on Crowdcube. Capital At Risk.|website=Crowdcube|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-06-05|archive-date=2018-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817185755/https://www.crowdcube.com/investment/pavegen-systems-ltd-19189|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Lomas 2015">{{cite magazine | last=Lomas | first=Natasha | date=25 May 2015 | title=Pavegen Kicks Off Crowdcube Campaign To Power Up Its Kinetic Flooring Business |magazine=TechCrunch | url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/05/25/pavegen-kicks-off-crowdcube-campaign-to-power-up-its-kinetic-flooring-business/ | access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref>
In 2015, Kemball-Cook acts as CEO of the company, For his invention, he was chosen as Businessman of the Year at the PEA Awards,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mygreenpod.com/articles/the-pea-awards-2013/|title=The PEA Awards 2013 - MyGreenPod {{!}} Sustainable & ethical news & lifestyle hub|work=MyGreenPod {{!}} Sustainable & ethical news & lifestyle hub|access-date=2018-06-05|language=en-GB}}</ref> and presented with a Shell LiveWIREGrand Ideas Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shell-livewire.org/alumni/young-entrepreneur-of-the-year-finalists/laurence-kemball-cook/|title=Home {{!}} Shell LiveWIRE UK|website=www.shell-livewire.org|language=en|access-date=2018-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613202230/http://shell-livewire.org/alumni/young-entrepreneur-of-the-year-finalists/laurence-kemball-cook/|archive-date=2017-06-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also was named as honorary Enterprise and Innovation Fellow by Loughborough University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.lboro.ac.uk/careers/2014/05/enterprise-innovation-fellow-talks-starting-business-time-university/|title=Enterprise and Innovation Fellow talks about starting a business and time at university - Careers and Employability BlogCareers and Employability Blog|website=blog.lboro.ac.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-06-05}}</ref>
==Distributors== Pavegen manufactures and exports in/from the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.pavegen.com/contact/distributors | title=Distributors}}</ref>
== Real-World Examples == An [http://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/pavegen-kinetic-technology-powers-christmas-lights article] published by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers shows the image of a display out in public, which is located near a passage way which has been retrofitted with Pavegen's floor tiles. The display outputs the following message: "Your 54,267 steps have brightened up this lane by 217,068 watt seconds".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pavegen technology powers Christmas lights |url=https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/pavegen-kinetic-technology-powers-christmas-lights |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=www.imeche.org}}</ref>
==Criticism== The Register points out in 2015 that this device generates only "tiny, pointless amounts of energy".<ref name="page"/>
== See also == * Energy harvesting * Renewable energy
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.pavegen.com/}} * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leicester/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9401000/9401030.stm Loughborough graduate competes for design award]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavegen}} Pavegen Category:British companies established in 2009