Self‐Powered Electronic Skin with Multisensory Functions Based on Thermoelectric Conversion

Yuan, Jinfeng; Zhu, Rong; Li, Guozhen

doi:10.1002/admt.202000419

Cited by 61 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Regarding the latter, the F-TEG can be used as a skin refrigerator for body thermoregulation, which in some cases is a benefit for the humans [43]. Thus, the F-TEG can be used not only to harvest the body heat energy but also as a sensor to detect temperature and convective heat flux variations [44].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Flexible Thermoelectric Generator Worn on the Leg to Harvest Body Heat Energy and to Recognize Motor Activities: A Preliminary Study

et al. 2021

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Wearable devices are commonly used to monitor human movement since motor activity is a fundamental element in all phases of a person's life. Patients with motor disorders need to be monitored for a prolonged period and the battery life can be a limit for such a goal. Here the technique of harvesting energy from body heat to supply energy to wearable devices is investigated. A commercial flexible thermoelectric generator, equipped with an accelerometer, is placed on the lower leg above the ankle. The accelerometer serves to detect diverse motor activities carried out by ten students of VSB-Technical University of Ostrava involved in the execution of two tasks. To summarize, the motor activities analyzed in the proposed work are: "Sit", "Walk", "Rest", "Go biking", "Rest after biking", and "Go down and up the stairs". The maximum measured value of power density was 20.3 µW cm -2 for the "Walk" activity, corresponding to a gradient of temperature between the hot and cold side of the thermocouples constituting the flexible thermoelectric generator of 1.5 °C, while the minimum measured value of power density was 8.3 µW cm -2 for the "Sit" activity, corresponding to a gradient of temperature of 1.1 °C. Moreover, a mathematical model was developed for the recognition of motor activities carried out during the execution of the experiments. As a preliminary result, it is possible to state that semi-stationary parts of the signal generated by the thermoelectric generator can be traced back to the performance of an activity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Flexible Thermoelectric Generator Worn on the Leg to Harvest Body Heat Energy and to Recognize Motor Activities: A Preliminary Study

et al. 2021

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“…A self‐powered electronic system with multiple sensors, data processing, and data visualization was thus developed ( Figure ). [ 197 ] The core component is a hand‐shaped WTEG functionalized as an electronic skin (e‐skin) that not only harvests energy from the body to supply power to the entire e‐skin system, but also acts as a multi‐sensory receptor. The e‐skin system is endowed with multiple functions of sensing temperature and humidity, perceiving wind and motion, identifying material and monitoring acceleration, and displaying the sensing data on a liquid‐crystal display.…”

Section: Wearable Self‐powered System Based On Thermoelectric Modulesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wearable Thermoelectric Materials and Devices for Self‐Powered Electronic Systems

et al. 2021

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Because of their readiness and high power bandwidth, batteries are the preeminent source of power supply for portable electronics, but are subject to periodic recharging and replacement. Hence, a key challenge is to design suitable and sustainable power sources for portable electronic devices. Harvesting energy from the human body is suitable for providing consistent and uninterrupted energy for wearable electronic devices. The daily activities of a 68-kg adult can generate over 100 W of power, through breathing, heating, blood transport, and walking. [3] Thus, converting 1% of the power generated by the human body may be enough to support the work of most portable electronics. Various energy-harvesting technologies, such as, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), [4][5][6] piezoelectric nanogenerators, [7] and thermoelectric generators (TEGs), [8] have been developed to convert human energy (from human motion and body heat) into electricity. In line with recent developments in wearable electronics and e-skins, the use of a self-powered direct-current (DC) electric power supplier is inevitable for activating human body-adjustable electronic systems. [9] Among the various energy-autonomous devices, [10] only TEGs can permanently produce DC electric power without complex power managing components, and they are maintenance free. Moreover, solar energy and vibration-based energy harvesters areThe emergence of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things has led to a growing demand for wearable and maintenance-free power sources. The continual push toward lower operating voltages and power consumption in modern integrated circuits has made the development of devices powered by body heat finally feasible. In this context, thermoelectric (TE) materials have emerged as promising candidates for the effective conversion of body heat into electricity to power wearable devices without being limited by environmental conditions. Driven by rapid advances in processing technology and the performance of TE materials over the past two decades, wearable thermoelectric generators (WTEGs) have gradually become more flexible and stretchable so that they can be used on complex and dynamic surfaces. In this review, the functional materials, processing techniques, and strategies for the device design of different types of WTEGs are comprehensively covered. Wearable self-powered systems based on WTEGs are summarized, including multi-function TE modules, hybrid energy harvesting, and all-in-one energy devices. Challenges in organic TE materials, interfacial engineering, and assessments of device performance are discussed, and suggestions for future developments in the area are provided. This review will promote the rapid implementation of wearable TE materials and devices in self-powered electronic systems.The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202102990.

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“…Energy harvesters can be used as stand-alone power sources in various emerging applications including, self-powered multisensory systems, [359,360] biomedical devices, [361,362] and wearable systems. [363,364] Since the energy sources available in the environment are intermittent (and in some cases, stochastic), careful design of external circuitry and storage is necessary to guarantee stable delivery of the harvested power when needed.…”

Section: Power Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Harvesting and Storage with Soft and Stretchable Materials

et al. 2021

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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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Self‐Powered Electronic Skin with Multisensory Functions Based on Thermoelectric Conversion

Cited by 61 publications

References 50 publications

A Flexible Thermoelectric Generator Worn on the Leg to Harvest Body Heat Energy and to Recognize Motor Activities: A Preliminary Study

A Flexible Thermoelectric Generator Worn on the Leg to Harvest Body Heat Energy and to Recognize Motor Activities: A Preliminary Study

Wearable Thermoelectric Materials and Devices for Self‐Powered Electronic Systems

Energy Harvesting and Storage with Soft and Stretchable Materials

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