Wearable Sensors Harvesting Body Motion Energy

Chandigarh, August 5 – Scientists have developed innovative technology to create cost-effective and efficient piezoelectric devices for self-powered wearable devices. These devices harvest energy from the human body, monitoring various physiological parameters seamlessly.

Piezoelectric devices work by accumulating an electric charge in specific solid materials, such as crystals, ceramics, and biological matter like bones or proteins, in response to applied mechanical stress.

Researchers at the Institute of Nano-Science and Technology (INST) in Mohali have pioneered a technique within microfluidics to produce microspheres. These tiny solids or hollow spheres made of protein or synthetic polymer exhibit a high electro-active phase, crucial for piezoelectric devices.

Microfluidic Breakthrough

Polymer microspheres offer increased surface area and enhanced interface capabilities. However, traditional production methods face challenges such as shape irregularities and high energy requirements.

Microfluidic techniques overcome these limitations, offering tunability, size and shape control, and efficiency. INST researchers have combined microfluidics with off-chip thermal polymerization techniques to create uniform and monodisperse microspheres. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a critical role in accurately predicting microsphere diameters and phases, reducing the need for extensive lab optimization before droplet generation in microfluidics.

Applications in Wearable Devices

As a proof of concept, the team explored the application of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microspheres to develop flexible piezoelectric devices. These devices can seamlessly integrate with various parts of the human body, such as elbows and knees, through wearables. They undergo different degrees of compression based on specific body movements, harnessing otherwise wasted energy. This generated electrical response is substantial, providing enough output voltage to power low-energy devices.

Future Prospects

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, integrating this technology into wearables opens new avenues for efficient energy harvesting from human motion. This paves the way for sustainable and self-sufficient wearable devices.

The method’s simplicity, cost-effectiveness, high efficiency, and control make it significant for applications in the biomedical sector and beyond. These advancements signal a transformative leap in the development of self-powered devices, potentially revolutionizing how wearables operate and benefit users.