I have to preface these post with a shout out: the images are from Kyle Roth, a local photographer who does beautiful work and who is a big champion of Cleveland, be sure to read his blog at North Coast Lifestyle and Epstein Design Partners.
I have written before about Aaron LeMieux of Tremont Electric. I love this guy and his fantastic idea. Basically, he created a small portable device that will charge any personal device. It works on the principal that kinetic energy, created from the simple everyday motion of walking or hiking, can be converted into electricity. He came up with the idea while backpacking through the Appalachian mountains. Now, he and his company, Tremont Electric, are working to harness the kinetic energy of waves to create electricity that can be introduced into the grid.
The story of Aaron LeMieux is a fascinating one. Aaron is a guy who followed his passion. He loved being outdoors, but loved using his brain to solve the complex problem of energy generation. So while he hiked through the mountains, he decided that there must be a way to create electricity rather than buying more batteries. The spark of an idea was born. With the love of a wife who allowed him to turn their basement into a lab, and a determined will Aaron started to crack this problem. A less dedicated person would have given up, but not Aaron. He continued on this journey for ten years. Now the first units are due to ship this spring. Imagine being able to recharge your ipod or cell phone just by walking around.
Aaron LeMieux mentioned that Edison continued to work on the phone, even though his contemporaries said that no one really wanted to talk to each other. When you have a great idea and are determined to work on it, you can really change the world.
Tags: electricity, TEDxCLE
I heard about Tremont Electric a while ago through SMC, but I’ve never met Aaron. You could almost say that his device competes with some of my company’s products, but in wattage terms I think he leaves us in the dust (though our products run unattended). When I think about using thermoelectrics to produce a watt or so from a steam pipe, or 500 watts from BMW’s prototype, I have to remember that every morning I crank out 225 watts on an exercise bike. Human power is serious stuff.
Very inspiring post, Robert. It seems the best designs involve much toil, determination and patience, and they usually result in a refreshingly simple design like the PEG.
Thank you so much Robert! I and the team at Tremont Electric really appreciate your kind words. Its been a long road with lots of sacrifice, sharing the story with others helps us appreciate the amount of work that we have worked through.
Your hard work and dedication will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The thanks go to you!
I agree! It took many years, but that jsut tells me to never give up! Kudos to Aaron LeMieux!
It always bothers me when I go to the gym and get on the elliptical and crank out tons of power form human energy, but the display is still driven by the power cord and MY energy goes nowhere… I want a peg so that at least I can recharge my MP3 Player while I work out!