A Triboelectric Nanogenerator Design for the Utilization of Multi-Axial Mechanical Energies in Human Motions

Abstract

As the use of mobile devices increase, there is public interest in the utilization of the human motion generated mechanical energy. The human motion generated mechanical energies vary depending on the body region, type of motion, etc., and an appropriate device has to be designed to utilize them effectively. In this work, a device based on the principles of triboelectric generation and inertia was assessed in order to utilize the multi-axial mechanical energies generated by human motions. To improve the output performance we confirm the changes in the output that vary with the structural design, the reasons for such changes, and variations in performance based on the parts of the human body. In addition, the level of electrical energy generated based on motion type was measured; a maximum voltage of 30 V and a current of 2 μA were generated. Finally, the proposed device was utilized in LEDs used for lighting, thus demonstrating that multi-axial mechanical energies can be harvested effectively. Based on the results, we expect that the developed device can be utilized as a sensor to detect mechanical energies, to sense changes in motion, or as a generator for auxiliary power supply for mobile devices.