Edward Bailey '13 recently invented The Footprint, a device that collects electricity from the kinetic energy produced when it is carried around in a backpack and then charges cell phones, iPods, or other electronics. The idea for the invention came to Edward, a self-proclaimed tinkerer, "from out of the blue," and his science teachers at Woodberry Forest School offered support, advice, and the tools he needed to build his prototype battery charger. Science teacher and track coach Erik Born was especially helpful, says Edward. "He would talk it over with me during track practice and challenge me to think about conquering the flaws."

Edward's first prototype took two months to build and was encased in a plastic soda bottle he found in a dorm trash can, but the current model is housed inside a Woodberry Forest water bottle that he tucks into his backpack each day.

Now under review for a provisional patent, The Footprint offers an environmentally friendly way to collect energy from anything that moves, be that a backpack, a purse, a car, or a truck, and power anything that can be plugged into a USB port. Edward hopes to attract investor interest in developing the idea into a consumer product. "There's so much electricity that can be harnessed," he remarks, "without using harmful means."

Click here to learn more about Edward's invention in this interview with Blake Bozymski '13.