Energy harvesting in bridges and transportation infrastructure networks: state of art, recent trends and future developments

In the upward trend of renewable energy growth, several proposals have been made concerning energy harvesting devices in transportation infrastructure networks. The objective, concerning higher power extraction, is to supply power to auxiliary systems (e.g. road lights or information panels), thus, satisfying the requirement for sustainable transportation infrastructures. This paper deals with the state of art, the recent trends and the future developments in energy harvesting for bridges and transportation infrastructure networks. Particular focus is given to the definition of a broader framework of energy extraction for such systems. Finally, a survey takes place for the possible research issues and synergies among different research sectors.