A recyclable triboelectric nanogenerator integrated into insole for sensing human motion

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recently, researchers have produced a triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) technology that can harvest mechanical energy. However, the expensive fabrication materials still hinder its widespread. Thus, we propose a novel cost-effective TENG (N-TENG) by using the napkin to harvest biomechanical energy and sense the human motion. The N-TENG can obtain the short-circuit current (Isc) of 42.38 µA and the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 363 V, respectively. As for the maximum output power of N-TENG with the size of (5 cm × 5 cm), it can reach 1.52 mW. Furthermore, the N-TENG integrated into the insole can detect the amount of perspiration of the foot to realize the physiological monitoring of the human body. This research not only greatly promoted the TENGs in mechanical energy harvesting but also the development of wearable electronics.