Following the development of a new energy-harvesting device developed at the University of Sydney, wearable devices could soon be completely made of recycled waste matter.
Scientists have revealed a wrist device fabricated from discarded paper and plastic cups that operates on energy harvested by the movement of the wearer. The prototype device can relay Morse code, and the team is now focusing on plans to use the technology for smartwatches.
In fact, very soon, individuals will be asking themselves about the items that are not connected to the Internet. However, the current IoT revolution throws light on the simple fact that our planet does not have the raw resources to continue to make manufacture connected devices that are in very high demand.
As per research, there lies a path to create sustainable technology that functions on electricity powered by the users of that technology.
Importantly, the device operates on its own power thanks to the property of materials of electric induction after they come in contact with each other. Also known as triboelectric nanogenerators, these materials use static charge to collect energy through a process called electrostatic induction.
In fact, energy- harvesting wearable device could be the future game-changer for medical, consumer, and security robots, opine the developers of the device.
The core objective of Advanced Technology Institute is to help create a world where clean energy is available to all. The energy harvesting technology employed by the research team incorporates this key mission, and the team is aligned to work with the industry to harness the full potential of the technology.
The details of the finding are published in ACS Materials & Interfaces.