LEVEL OF ACCEPTABILITY OF ELECTRIC GENERATING INSOLES

Abstract

The increasing emphasis on sustainable and renewable energy sources has led to extensive research on harnessing energy from unconventional and untapped sources. One such innovation is electricity-generating insoles, which utilize piezoelectric materials to convert mechanical energy from walking into usable electrical energy. This study examines the level of acceptability of this technology. This study employed a quantitative-descriptive research method with purposive sampling. A survey questionnaire was used to assess the acceptability of the proposed model based on materials used, power-generating capacity, charging capability, safety, and presentation. A t-test was performed to determine significant differences in the assessments of mechanical and electrical engineers. Findings revealed a weighted mean of 3.28 (variance 0.07825) for mechanical engineers and 3.31 (variance 0.09675) for electrical engineers. The t-computed value (0.1604) was lower than the t-critical value (2.036) at a 0.05 significance level, leading to the acceptance of the null hypothesis. Mechanical engineers rated the insoles highly acceptable in materials (3.45) and charging capability (3.45), acceptable in safety (3.6), but lowly acceptable in power generation (2.35). Electrical engineers rated materials as lowly acceptable (2.8), power generation as lowly acceptable (2.0), and presentation as acceptable (3.08). To enhance the study, respondents recommended exploring advanced energy storage solutions, such as high-capacity batteries or supercapacitors, to store and deliver harvested energy efficiently, ensuring continuous and reliable power supply to users.