Sustainably powering wearable electronics solely by biomechanical energy

Jie Wang, Shengming Li, Fang Yi, Yunlong Zi, Jun Lin, Xiaofeng Wang, Youlong Xu and Zhong Lin Wang ()
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Jie Wang: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Shengming Li: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Fang Yi: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Yunlong Zi: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Jun Lin: Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key laboratory of the Ministry of Education & International Center of Dielectric Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Xiaofeng Wang: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Youlong Xu: Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key laboratory of the Ministry of Education & International Center of Dielectric Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Zhong Lin Wang: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Harvesting biomechanical energy is an important route for providing electricity to sustainably drive wearable electronics, which currently still use batteries and therefore need to be charged or replaced/disposed frequently. Here we report an approach that can continuously power wearable electronics only by human motion, realized through a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) with optimized materials and structural design. Fabricated by elastomeric materials and a helix inner electrode sticking on a tube with the dielectric layer and outer electrode, the TENG has desirable features including flexibility, stretchability, isotropy, weavability, water-resistance and a high surface charge density of 250 μC m−2. With only the energy extracted from walking or jogging by the TENG that is built in outsoles, wearable electronics such as an electronic watch and fitness tracker can be immediately and continuously powered.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12744

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