Developing a piezoelectric doormat for renewable energy generation
Hanz John J. Abello, Shania Therese T. Abolucion, Rhea Belle T. Campos, 1Marlon V. Gatan, Shayne Ashly I. Impreso, Jan Rey P. Relator, Michael Jefferson H. Reyes, Ma. Viera Celine C. Tabulod, Loraine G. Arevalo & Vianny Nicole P. Montuya
Abstract
This study developed and evaluated a piezoelectric doormat that converts kinetic energy from footsteps into electrical energy. The system used 35 PZT ceramic discs arranged in a 5×7 matrix within a 50cm×70cm mat, paired with a bridge rectifier, 4700 µF capacitor, MT3608 boost converter, and 18650 lithium-ion batteries with BMS. Using a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, performance was monitored over 12 weeks under varying loads (40–100 kg, 30–120 steps/minute). The mat generated a mean power of 6.8±2.1W, accumulating 268.8 kWh with 3.2±0.8% conversion efficiency. ANOVA confirmed significant effects of weight (p<0.001) and step frequency (p<0.001). The Grade 11 STEM students (N=33) rated sustainability (M=4.65) and efficiency (M=4.57) positively, but raised durability concerns (M=4.55), consistent with the observed 18.1% performance decline over 12 weeks. Development cost was $408.57 ($60.08/watt) with a 2.12-year payback period. Material degradation, moderate efficiency, and high costs limit large-scale deployment. Future work should focus on material optimization, improved circuitry, and cost-reduction strategies for high-traffic applications.
Keywords
piezoelectric energy harvesting, kinetic energy conversion, PZT ceramic materials, footfall power generation
Author information & Contribution
Hanz John J. Abello. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Shania Therese T. Abolucion. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Rhea Belle T. Campos. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Marlon V. Gatan. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Shayne Ashly I. Impreso. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Jan Rey P. Relator. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Michael Jefferson H. Reyes. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Ma. Viera Celine C. Tabulod. Senior High School Graduate, Aklan Catholic College.
Loraine G. Arevalo. Corresponding author. College Graduate. Senior High School Faculty at Aklan Catholic College. Email: lorainearevalo24@gmail.com
Vianny Nicole P. Montuya. College Graduate. Senior High School Faculty at Aklan Catholic College. Email: viannynicolemontuya@gmail.com
Hanz John J. Abello and Shania Therese T. Abolucion, contributed to experimental design, piezoelectric doormat fabrication, data acquisition from 12-week performance testing, and initial drafting of Methodology and Findings sections.
Rhea Belle T. Campos and Jan Rey P. Relator performed statistical analyses, economic feasibility calculations and interpretation of efficiency trends.
Marlon V. Gatan and Shayne Ashly I. Impreso conducted literature search on piezoelectric theory/applications, initial Literature Review drafting, ethics protocol development and contributed to technical specs drafting.
Ma. Viera Celine C. Tabulod and Michael Jefferson H. Reyes are responsible for data visualization and compliance with Data Privacy Act (RA 10173). Contributed to ethical considerations subsection, accountable for ethical compliance, analyzed user experience data and revised Results sections for clarity.
Vianny Nicole P. Montuya Capstone adviser and Loraine G. Arevalo, Research Adviser, provided overall research supervision, critical revision of all sections for intellectual content, data interpretation oversight, and final paper finalization including formatting/referencing fixes. Gave final approval; accountable for entire work's integrity.
All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring questions on accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Declaration
The author declares the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation of this manuscript. Specifically, Claude AI was employed to assist with content development and conceptual clarification; Grammarly was utilized for grammar checking and stylistic refinement; QuillBot was used for paraphrasing and sentence restructuring; and Turnitin was applied to assess originality and overall manuscript quality. The author assumes full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and editorial soundness of all content produced or refined through the use of these tools.
Notes
This paper has been presented in International Student Research Congress 2026.
Acknowledgement
The researchers would like to express their sincerest gratitude to Aklan Catholic College for the institutional support, facilities, and resources that made this research possible.Heartfelt thanks are extended to Research Adviser and Capstone Adviser for guidance, mentorship, and continuous support throughout the research process.
The researchers are likewise grateful to the panel of evaluators for their valuable feedback and recommendations, and to the faculty and teachers of Aklan Catholic College for the knowledge and inspiration they have shared.This accomplishment would not have been possible without their collective support and dedication.
References
Ali, A., Shaukat, H., Elahi, H., Taimur, S., Manan, M. Q., Altabey, W. A., Kouritem, S. A., & Noori, M. (2025). Advancements in energy harvesting techniques for sustainable IoT devices. Results in Engineering, 26, 104820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.104820
Alotibi, F., & Khan, M. (2025). High foot traffic power harvesting technologies and challenges: A review and possible sustainable solutions for Al-Haram Mosque. Applied Sciences, 15(8), 4247. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084247
Ang, T., Salem, M., Kamarol, M., Das, H. S., Nazari, M. A., & Prabaharan, N. (2022). A comprehensive study of renewable energy sources: Classifications, challenges and suggestions. Energy Strategy Reviews, 43, 100939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100939
Aslam, T., Azam, A., Mugheri, S. A., Ahmed, A., Zhang, Z., Abdelrahman, M., Song, J., & Fan, C. (2025). AI-integrated self-powered active road stud-based energy harvesting for enhanced road safety in low-visibility. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 45, e01564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01564
Bacarro, R. R., Ylaya, V. J. V., Vicerra, R. R. P., & Delante, V. Z. (2021). Development and analysis of footstep power harvester: A case study for the viability of the device in Surigao City. In 2021 IEEE 13th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and Control, Environment, and Management (HNICEM) (pp. 1–5). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/HNICEM54116.2021.9732040
Caston, T. (2011, March 9). Piezoelectric energy harvesting floor mat. EDN. https://www.edn.com/piezoelectric-energy-harvesting-floor-mat/
Chew, Z. J., Kuang, Y., Ruan, T., & Zhu, M. (2021). Energy harvesting in smart cities. In J. C. Augusto (Ed.), Handbook of Smart Cities. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69698-6_35
Covaci, C., & Gontean, A. (2020). Piezoelectric energy harvesting solutions: A review. Sensors, 20(12), 3512. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20123512
Fawzy, M., Alahmadi, A., & Sounni, I. (2025). A scoping review of harvesting human kinetic energy for renewable energy production. In D. Berkouk, U. Chatterjee, T. A. K. Bouzir, & I. B. Dhaou (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Creativity, Technology, and Sustainability (CCTS 2024). Proceedings in Technology Transfer. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-8588-9_53
Galayko, D., Karami, A., Basset, P., & Blokhina, E. (2018). Kinetic Energy Harvesting for the IoT: Perspectives and Challenges for the Next Decade. Kinetic Energy Harvesting for the IoT: Perspectives and Challenges for the Next Decade, 593–596. https://doi.org/10.1109/icecs.2018.8617991
Go, J. C. T., Remolino, A. K. A., Sanchez, J. M. P., & Paz, K. E. (2023). Harvesting Energy through Piezoelectric Tiles: A Comparative Study of Wood, Porcelain, and Ceramic Tiles. EDUCATUM Journal of Science Mathematics and Technology, 10(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.37134/ejsmt.vol10.1.1.2023
Gómez-Gijón, S., Romero, F. J., Toral, V., et al. (2026). Energy harvesting for sustainable electronics: Challenges and opportunities. MRS Communications, 16, 155–166. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-025-00892-w
Helmenstine, A., & Helmenstine, A. (2024, January 17). Piezoelectricity and the piezoelectric effect. Science Notes and Projects. https://sciencenotes.org/piezoelectricity-and-the-piezoelectric-effect/
Ihsan, A., Brear, M. J., & Jeppesen, M. (2021). Impact of operating uncertainty on the performance of distributed, hybrid, renewable power plants. Applied Energy, 282(Part B), 116256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.116256
Izadgoshasb, I. (2021). Piezoelectric energy harvesting towards self-powered Internet of Things (IoT) sensors in smart cities. Sensors, 21(24), 8332. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21248332
Khafaga, D. S., El-kenawy, E.-S. M., Khodadadi, N., Alhussan, A. A., & Eid, M. M. (2025). Enhancing footstep power generation prediction through metaheuristic optimization and feature selection using Puma Optimization. Energy Reports, 14, 2864–2892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2025.09.017
Luo, A., Tan, Q., Xu, W., Huang, J., Gu, S., Guo, X., Lee, C., Fan, K., & Wang, F. (2025). A comprehensive review of energy harvesting from kinetic energy at low frequency. Advanced Materials Technologies, 10(13), 2401731. https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202401731
Maiorino, A., Petruzziello, F., Grilletto, A., & Aprea, C. (2024). Kinetic energy harvesting for enhancing sustainability of refrigerated transportation. Applied Energy, 364, 123145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123145
Mallari, D. M. M., Lopez, A. M., Lapuz, R. G., Aliwalas, Y. S. L., & Manlapig, E., Jr. (2024). Energy Generating Shoes: an experimental study in converting footsteps as a source of energy to generate electricity. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, VIII(VIII), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2024.808005
Neerati, C. A. (2025). Harvesting Urban Kinetic Energy: A study on Pavegens Energy-Generating. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology, 13(5), 3179–3181. https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2025.70778
Qatrunnada, A. A., Ikhsan, W. A., & Kurniawati, W. (2023). The important role of kinetic energy in supporting sustainable technological development. International Journal of Technology Science (IJTS), 1(4), 14-20.
Ranwa, S., & Kumar, M. (2023). Sensing materials: Ceramics. In Encyclopedia of Sensors and Biosensors (Vol. 2, pp. 1–13). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822548-6.00020-0
Santos, J. M. P., De Dios, J. D. R., & Erna, L. J. B. (2019, January 18). Piezoelectric transducers as source of electricity for LED streetlights. https://ojs.aaresearchindex.com/index.php/aajmra/article/view/11868
Selim, K. K., Smaili, I. H., Yehia, H. M., Ahmed, M. M. R., & Saleeb, D. A. (2024). Piezoelectric sensors pressed by human footsteps for energy harvesting. Energies, 17(10), 2297. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17102297
U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2021, October 8). EIA projects nearly 50% increase in world energy use by 2050, led by growth in renewables. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=49876
Ullah, Q., Rauta, T., Keskikuru, J., Haverinen, J., & Ruuskanen, P. (2025). Innovations in energy harvesting: A survey of low-power technologies and their potential. Energy Reports, 14, 671–692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2025.06.019
Xu, R., Zou, X., Liu, B., & Cheng, H.-M. (2018). Computational design and property predictions for two-dimensional nanostructures. Materials Today, 21(4), 391–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2018.03.003
Cite this article:
Abello, H.J.J., Abolucion, S.T.T., Campos, R.B.T., Gatan, M.V., Impreso, S.A.I., Relator, J.R.P., Reyes, M.J.H., Tabulod, M.V.C.C., Arevalo, L.G. & Montuya, V.N.P. (2026). Developing a piezoelectric doormat for renewable energy generation. The Research Probe, 6(1), 22-44. https://doi.org/10.53378/trp.210
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Related articles:
Most read articles
- Senior High School Strand Alignment and Its Implication to The Tertiary Programs: A Basis for Bridging Program
- Reading Comprehension Difficulties Among Junior High School Learners
- Difficulties in the writing skills of Grade 11 HUMSS students
- Factors Influencing Reading Comprehension and Difficulties Among Intermediate Learners: Basis For Developing Remedial Reading Intervention
- Identifying gender stereotypes of high school LGBTQ students
- Lived experiences of senior high school focal persons in the implementation of work immersion program
- Disaster risk reduction and management on earthquake preparedness: An assessment
- Digital Marketing Strategies Used by Competing Coffee Shops in Candelaria, Quezon: Perspective of Employees
- Technical vocational students’ higher learning institution preference and level of academic and skills preparedness
- Analysis of school rules and regulation implementation: Basis for policy enhancement program