Patent ID: 7851932

Claim:
An electricity generating backpack, comprising: shoulder straps; means for accepting a load to be carried by said backpack; a suspension system having a first portion connected directly or indirectly to said shoulder straps and a second portion connected to said load accepting means, said suspension system incorporating a compliant mechanism that permits said second portion of said suspension system and said load accepting means to be displaced relative to said first portion of said suspension system as a result of a gait of a wearer of the backpack or the application of force to the first or second portions of the suspension system; a generator that converts a mechanical displacement of said first portion of said suspension system with respect to said second portion of said suspension system into electrical energy; an energy storage device; and a load emulating circuit that emulates a desired load to said generator and manages the storage of electrical energy in said energy storage device and/or the discharge of generated electrical energy to minimize overdamping and underdamping of said load by said suspension system.