London, July 28 - Engineers are developing a way to capture the energy released by the marching boots of soldiers and are trying to use it to power their equipment, according to the latest research.

The new system designed to convert foot-power into battery power could help troops reduce the weight of their packs by up to 10 kg.

The project has been designed to address the needs of infantrymen. Heavy packs can severely limit a soldier's mobility and also lead to long-term health problems.

The typical pack weight that an infantryman carries on a six-hour patrol is around 75 kg, with batteries making up 10 kg of the load. Essential kit such as ammunition and water make up much of the rest.

A similar energy harvesting idea has been used in cars for some time where braking force is stored and later used to drive the vehicle forward.