ECS researcher assesses energy harvesting at Cheltenham Science Festival

Dr Geoff Merrett of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering research group in ECS is appearing at the prestigious Times Cheltenham Science Festival today (Friday 7 June).

The other members of the energy harvesting panel are Paul Mitcheson and heart surgeon Sukumaran Nair, who is looking at the use of wireless power transfer to keep artificial hearts pumping. The discussion will cover energy harvesting devices which capture energy that would otherwise be wasted and store it for future use. Vibration from engines, temperature gradients and even energy in blood sugar can all generate enough energy to power electronic devices. Dr Merrett writes about his appearance at the Festival and the impact of his research on his website

Another member of ECS has a prominent role in the Festival. Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, is Guest Director this year. Writing on the Festival website, Dame Wendy expresses her support for the breadth of the Festival’s coverage of science: "What I love about the Cheltenham Science Festival is the appetite for science I see there. From children all the way through to senior citizens, the audiences, as well as the topics, are so diverse and people just love it! The thing that really surprises me is how much science is packed into the Festival."

The Times Cheltenham Science Festival is a six-day celebration of science, engineering and the arts aimed solely at the general public. It is widely acclaimed as the UK's leading science festival and is renowned for its creative programming. Aiming to present a broad range of science and scientific issues in an exciting and engaging environment, the event includes a variety of formats including debates, panel discussions, single speaker talks, interactive workshops and exhibitions. The Festival continues to grow each year, with 39,000 tickets issued in 2012 and 17,000 visitors at free exhibitions and events.