Living the Forest Lab | Reallabor Wald
Sara Reichert
s.reichert@tu-berlin.deAthena Grandis
athena.grandis@tu-berlin.deAs part of the collaboration between researchers from the Berlin Open Lab and the Futurium Berlin, we hosted a hands-on workshop titled “Harvesting Energy.” In this workshop, participants explored the principle of energy harvesting using piezoelectric elements. Through a practical experiment, they learned how to generate electrical energy from mechanical pressure. The main activity was to build a battery-free […]
As part of the collaboration between researchers from the Berlin Open Lab and the Futurium Berlin, we hosted a hands-on workshop titled “Harvesting Energy.”
In this workshop, participants explored the principle of energy harvesting using piezoelectric elements. Through a practical experiment, they learned how to generate electrical energy from mechanical pressure. The main activity was to build a battery-free LED light chain—one that still lights up, thanks only to the energy produced by the participants themselves.
At the core of this experiment lies the piezoelectric effect. This effect describes the ability of certain materials—such as specific ceramics or crystals—to generate an electric charge when they are mechanically deformed. When pressure, vibration, or bending is applied to a piezoelectric element, the structure of its internal charges shifts, producing a measurable voltage. This phenomenon is widely used in everyday technologies, from lighters and sensors to musical pickups and energy-harvesting devices.
Through this workshop, participants not only learned about the physical principle but also discovered how simple materials can convert motion into usable electricity—opening up creative possibilities for sustainable, low-power technologies.
Graduated from the Technical University of Berlin and University of Artis in Design & Computation, a transdisciplinary study program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication from the Berlin University of the Arts and the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. Her interests include feminist perspectives on digitalisation, queering technology and human-machine interaction and relationships. Her practical work moves between media such as installation, print, video, wearables, illustration and prototyping.
Graduated from the Technical University of Berlin in 2017 with an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering. She implemented an experimental space at City LAB Berlin and developed a passion for prototyping, open hardware, and participatory development. Currently pursuing her PhD at TU Berlin, she researches tools for prototyping to discover the optimal composition of electronic components. Her mission is to develop tools that empower a wider audience to become inventors.
