Mechanical trees become power 'plants' when they sway in breeze

New tools for harvesting wind energy may soon look less like giant windmills and more like tiny leafless trees. A project at The Ohio State University is testing whether high-tech objects that look a bit like artificial trees can generate renewable power when they are shaken by the wind—or by the sway of a tall building, traffic on a bridge or even seismic activity. In a recent issue of the Journal of Sound and Vibration, researchers report that they've uncovered...

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