Piezoelectricity in a Culture of Dependence
Technological dependency is a defining feature of contemporary society, shaped by a continuous cycle of innovation in which new developments often generate further problems that require additional technological solutions. This process aligns with techno-solutionism, the belief that technology can resolve complex societal issues, including those it contributes to creating. As a result, technological systems have become increasingly embedded within everyday life, reinforcing reliance on them while shaping expectations of constant progress and improvement. This project both engages with and critiques techno-solutionism through speculative, material-led design. It questions whether continual technological development is inherently beneficial, or whether it instead perpetuates dependency and produces new forms of vulnerability. In doing so, it critically examines broader assumptions surrounding progress and necessity.
Grounded in the context of outdoor navigation within England’s national parks, specifically the North Yorkshire Moors, the project explores the increasing reliance hikers place on digital navigation tools. As hiking becomes more popular, often influenced by social media trends, online challenges, and fitness-tracking cultures, many participants are underprepared and lack traditional navigational skills. Consequently, conventional tools such as maps and compasses are frequently disregarded in favour of smartphones and GPS-based systems. This reliance introduces significant risks. Mountain rescue incidents have increased in open and remote landscapes where limited landmarks and indistinct paths can quickly lead to disorientation. Digital devices, while offering real-time tracking, accessibility, and convenience, are inherently vulnerable to failure. A key concern is battery depletion. Smartphones rely on lithium-ion batteries, which are particularly sensitive to low temperatures. In cold environments, performance can degrade rapidly, resulting in sudden shutdowns. In remote settings, such failures can result in complete loss of navigation and communication, significantly increasing risk. Despite these limitations, digital tools remain dominant due to their usability, portability, and perceived reliability.
In response, the project explores remote electrical generation through sustainable energy-harvesting systems; specifically, piezoelectricity. This process generates an electrical charge through mechanical stress applied to piezoelectric materials. The research draws on naturally occurring piezoelectric materials (potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate), whose asymmetric crystal structures enables electrical generation under pressure. Building on this principle, the project proposes piezoelectric systems embedded within hiking shoe soles, where mechanical pressure and repeated deformation from walking generate small electrical currents, gradually harvesting energy through motion. Focusing on the crystallisation of Rochelle salt onto woven conductive structures, the project aims to develop self-generating material systems capable of producing and storing electrical charge. In this context, energy is able to be harvested through movement to support or recharge devices in remote environments.
While presented as speculative prototypes, the material outcomes also operate as critical artefacts. Through interactivity, they encourage reflection on how technological progress is understood and valued, whether innovation necessarily equates to improvement, and how individuals perceive their own dependency on digital technologies.
