Low-frequency human motion energy scavenging with wearable tumbler-inspired electromagnetic energy harvesters

Abstract

Harvesting energy from human motion to power portable electronic devices has attracted widespread attention. However, human motion energy is primarily concentrated in low-frequency range below 5 Hz, which makes it hard to capture with traditional approaches. In this work, a tumbler-inspired electromagnetic energy harvester (T-EMH) is designed to harvest human motion energy. The magnet is placed on the top of the tumbler structure, allowing for easy conversion of irregular human motion into electricity through the tumbler mechanism. A theoretical model is established to predict the energy harvesting performance of T-EMH. Both simulations and experiments were conducted to verify the low-frequency characteristics of T-EMH. The harvested maximum peak voltage is 0.6 V and the maximum average output power can reach 0.55 mW by adjusting the external load. Additionally, human motion tests substantiate T-EMH's capacity to generate a peak power output of 0.86 mW at a running speed of 12 km/h. These results emphasize the promising potential of T-EMH as an effective approach for capturing energy from human motion.