Highly Stretchable All-Rubber-Based Thread-Shaped Wearable Electronics for Human Motion Energy-Harvesting and Self-Powered Biomechanical Tracking

Soft robotics can interact with humans safely. 3) Devices built from stretchable materials have a greater mechanical degree of freedom. This allows electronics, displays, and sensors to be integrated into places that would be difficult or impossible with rigid devices and enables new types of human-computer interfaces. It also allows robotics to have enhanced levels of dexterity and complexity in movement (consider the octopus as an inspiring example). 4) Devices that can be deformed elastically can be engineered to have new or emerging properties, such as antennas that change frequency with elongation, [21] intelligent materials that can perform unconventional forms of logic, [22,23] or composites that change thermal conductivity, [24] electrical conductivity, [25] or dielectric properties with deformation. [26][27][28] Most robotic and electronic devices require electricity to function, as shown on the left side of Figure 1A. Electricity can power sensors, enable computation, drive locomotion, and transmit information. Although most devices use electricity from an outlet, such "tethered" devices create notable limitations. In addition to limiting the degree of freedom of robotic materials, plug-in devices must be within a chords-length of a functioning outlet, thereby confining the range of use of such devices. Although battery operated devices can operate for some time without being plugged-in, the need to do so periodically is at best a nuisance that limits the operating time of a device. At worst, it can lead to issues such as lack of compliance with wearable devices (that is, the device is taken off for charging and never put back on) or disruptions in operation (a particular problem for health care devices or remotely deployed devices). Thus, there is a compelling interest in harvesting energy from the ambient to create tetherless devices or even devices that need less charging. Figure 1A (right side) provides examples of applications that may benefit from harvesting, such as internetof-things (IOT) devices, soft robots, wearables, implantables, and deployables (that is, devices sent to remote locations that do not have electrical outlets). Energy Harvesting CategoriesStrategies to harness energy typically convert waste or otherwise unused energy from the ambient into electricity. Although This review highlights various modes of converting ambient sources of energy into electricity using soft and stretchable materials. These mechanical properties are useful for emerging classes of stretchable electronics, e-skins, bio-integrated wearables, and soft robotics. The ability to harness energy from the environment allows these types of devices to be tetherless, thereby leading to a greater range of motion (in the case of robotics), better compliance (in the case of wearables and e-skins), and increased application space (in the case of electronics). A variety of energy sources are available including mechanical (vibrations, human motion, wind/fluid motion), electromagnetic (radio frequency (RF), solar), and ther...

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“…Electrodes on rubber threads have also been created using silver-coated particles with excellent stability. [98]…”

Section: Dielectric Foamsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Harvesting and Storage with Soft and Stretchable Materials

et al. 2021

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“…Consquently, the “triboelectric series” can be employed as the guideline in the selection of optimized triboelectric material pairs for high output performance, prior to designing and fabricating novel TENGs. Tribo-materials selected for the fabrication of TENG are ubiquitously present in our daily lives [ 141 – 146 ], among them, metal and nylon are commonly positively charged, while silicone rubber and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are typically chosen as negative materials for gaining negative charges [ 147 – 150 ].…”

Section: Working Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Triboelectric Nanogenerator Enabled Smart Shoes for Wearable Electricity Generation

Zou

Libanori

et al. 2020

Research

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The parallel evolution of wearable electronics, artificial intelligence, and fifth-generation wireless technology has created a technological paradigm with the potential to change our lives profoundly. Despite this, addressing limitations linked to continuous, sustainable, and pervasive powering of wearable electronics remains a bottleneck to overcome in order to maximize the exponential benefit that these technologies can bring once synergized. A recent groundbreaking discovery has demonstrated that by using the coupling effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can efficiently convert irregular and low-frequency passive biomechanical energy from body movements into electrical energy, providing an infinite and sustainable power source for wearable electronics. A number of human motions have been exploited to properly and efficiently harness this energy potential, including human ambulation. Shoes are an indispensable component of daily wearing and can be leveraged as an excellent platform to exploit such kinetic energy. In this article, the latest representative achievements of TENG-based smart electricity-generating shoes are comprehensively reviewed. We summarize ways in which not only can biomechanical energy be scavenged via ambulatory motion, but also biomonitoring of health parameters via tracking of rhythm and strength of pace can be implemented to aid in theranostic fields. This work provides a systematical review of the rational structural design, practical applications, scenario analysis, and performance evaluation of TENG-based smart shoes for wearable electricity generation. In addition, the perspective for future development of smart electricity-generation shoes as a sustainable and pervasive energy solution towards the upcoming era of the Internet of Things is discussed.

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“…Specifically, the mechanical energy belongs to a good-quality resource, because it is not limited by time, place, or other objective factors [6][7][8][9][10]. The process of human motion is the most frequent source of mechanical energy, which is sustainable and easy to obtain [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. As wearable devices are continuously developing, people can use them to collect energy for their daily needs [18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Portable Mobile Gait Monitor System Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Monitoring Gait and Powering Electronics

et al. 2021

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A self-powered portable triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is used to collect biomechanical energy and monitor the human motion, which is the new development trend in portable devices. We have developed a self-powered portable triboelectric nanogenerator, which is used in human motion energy collection and monitoring mobile gait and stability capability. The materials involved are common PTFE and aluminum foil, acting as a frictional layer, which can output electrical signals based on the triboelectric effect. Moreover, 3D printing technology is used to build the optimized structure of the nanogenerator, which has significantly improved its performance. TENG is conveniently integrated with commercial sport shoes, monitoring the gait and stability of multiple human motions, being strategically placed at the immediate point of motion during the respective process. The presented equipment uses a low-frequency stabilized voltage output system to provide power for the wearable miniature electronic device, while stabilizing the voltage output, in order to effectively prevent voltage overload. The interdisciplinary research has provided more application prospects for nanogenerators regarding self-powered module device integration.

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Highly Stretchable All-Rubber-Based Thread-Shaped Wearable Electronics for Human Motion Energy-Harvesting and Self-Powered Biomechanical Tracking

Cited by 26 publications

References 34 publications

Energy Harvesting and Storage with Soft and Stretchable Materials

Energy Harvesting and Storage with Soft and Stretchable Materials

Triboelectric Nanogenerator Enabled Smart Shoes for Wearable Electricity Generation

Portable Mobile Gait Monitor System Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Monitoring Gait and Powering Electronics

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