Congratulations to our 2026 runner-up, Alannah from Sir William Perkins’s School. In her entry, Step To Power, Alannah explored how piezoelectric tiles can convert the energy from everyday footsteps into electricity. Combining her passion for maths, physics and performing, she demonstrated how small amounts of energy can add up to make a meaningful impact. Take a look at her entry and cover letter:
I’ve always been obsessed with maths and physics because I love figuring out how the world works, but I also have a huge passion for singing and performing. For the Eurekas, I wanted to combine these two things to solve a problem: wasted energy! Every single day, we walk around our homes, and all that kinetic energy from our footsteps just goes to waste.
I wanted to find a way to “recycle” our movement! My project shows how piezoelectric tiles can turn the pressure of a step into real electricity. Even though one step only makes a tiny bit of power, I used my maths to show that if you add up all those steps, it’s actually a lot of electricity. My research shows that just walking around can generate enough electricity to power things like LED lights or chargers.
In my video, I even sang to help explain the science! I think that if millions of people started doing this, it would make a massive difference in how much electricity the whole country uses. It proves that even small steps can help the planet. I hope my project shows that science and creativity can work together for a better future!