'KET system' by ivan erkic 'FUJITSU design award 2011' competition shortlisted entry

the ‘KET system’ concept by ivan erkic converts electromagnetic energy into electric

‘KET (kinetic energy of traffic) system’, devised by serbian designer ivan erkic, harvests the unused energy of vehicle traffic by generating electromagnetic induction between moving cars, making productive use of what erkic describes as ‘a ‘river’ of automobiles, passing by in different directions like electrons in a magnetic field.‘

‘KET’ involves the placement of a magnetic coil, here integrated into a decorative panel, onto the sides of hybrid and electric vehicles. the coils have reversed polarity on each side of the car, and are connected to a battery, which is connected to the car’s engine.

when used en masse, in cities and high-traffic areas, the strips will generate energy when one car passes or drives next to another (dependent on the magnets’ orientation), through electromagnetic induction. installing the panels in ‘road fences’ and ‘energy station’ walls provides additional means of charging, even in more isolated areas.

while the energy generated in each moment may be small, the accumulation of energy over the course of a trip and for large numbers of vehicles may still be worthwhile.

piezo electric roads have been explored as an option to translate the mechanical energy of roads that results from the passage of vehicles, but the systems are expensive and must be embedded into the pavement. by contrast, the ‘KET’ panels make use of existing infrastructure and automobiles.

because the cars being used are already electric or hybrid vehicles rather than gas-driven, the increased drag from the inductive force may be compensated in a way that does not negate the ecological benefits of the additional energy. for example, while in a combustion engine vehicle, the need to burn more fuel to overcome the inductive force may outweigh the charging benefits; because hybrid and electric cars may use more sustainable energy sources for battery charging at home, the entire process offers a net increase in usable available energy.

concept depiction of induction between adjacent cars (left) and at dedicated ‘energy stations’ (right)

the electromagnetic coils are incorporated into decorative panels for the sides of vehicles

the concept was shortlisted from over 1000 designs in our recent designboom competition ‘a life with future computing‘, organized in collaboration with FUJITSU. the competition’s ‘life-design’ category sought ideas for new service concepts that enrich our daily lives with ICT services. while ‘KET’ focuses on alternative energy sources rather than directly on ICT, the competition organizers were interested in the unconventional approach, which if technologically productive might one day be adaptable to smaller scale applications to offer more sustainable computing devices.