According to New Scientist magazine, the latest wave-powered energy technology can generate enough power to light a marker buoy in swells less than one metre high.

So-called ‘artificial muscle’ technology uses two oppositely charged electrodes connected by elastic to convert small amounts of motion into electric energy. A pilot project off the coast of Florida has shown that an average 0.8m wave can generate a sustained output of 5W – enough to light the buoy.

However, researchers are hoping to be able to scale up the design to produce environmentally-friendly electrical power for use on land.

Click here to see video animation of renewable energy via wave-powered artificial muscle