How have humans harnessed energy to do work?

answer: human power used to be all the rage. 150 years ago, products that relied on human energy such as the bicycle, pedal-powered lathe or sewing machine could be found in most households. but as electro-mechanical motors developed, reliance on human-powered products gradually diminished.

today, human power is not appropriately recognised for its potential as an alternative solution to our growing energy needs. indeed, as we search for more renewable energy sources, is it possible to abandon using traditional electricity for certain tasks and return to human power? the way that more and more products are becoming digital and even internet-connected makes this a challenge. but humans emit energy that can easily be harnessed from our everyday behaviour.

the bicycle is a great way of using human power in a way that allows us to exercise, transport ourselves and save on the consumption of conventional energy at same time. if, for example, we can design bicycles to become more entertaining for people to use, they could encourage more people to adopt human power in this way. for example, london-based company electric pedals is using the pedal-powered technology to generate electricity for events such as outdoor cinemas, educational workshops and music stages.

human-powered products also have the potential to encourage us to become more physically active. according to the british heart foundation, around 32% of adults spend six hours a day during the week being sedentary, which means too much sitting and not enough exercise. according to my calculations, if these individuals spent half of their sedentary time exercising on a pedal-powered television, approximately £49 million worth of electricity could be generated per year, with a lot of calories burned on top.

using human-powered products as a countermeasure to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles could create a credible new perspective towards exercise as an alternative energy source. in some respects, human-power can be seen as the cleanest renewable energy source available, with great potential for people stay healthy and have fun.

here are four other notable products that shed some light on the future development of human power.

explanation: