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The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) harvests energy generated by human walking.
The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is made from thin, lightweight plastic sheets, interlocked in a rhombic grid. As the wearer walks, the rhythmic movement that occurs as his/her weight shifts from side to side causes the inside surfaces of the plastic sheets to touch and then separate, touch and then separate. The periodic contact and separation drives electrons back and forth, producing an alternating electric current.
This process, known as the triboelectrification effect, also underlies static electricity. The key to the new technology is the addition of highly charged nanomaterials that maximize the contact between the two surfaces, pumping up the energy output of the TENG.
Credit: Zhong Lin Wang, Georgia Tech
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