A small, flexible generator developed by scientists at Rice University can recharge a wearable medical device through a patient's everyday movements, according to a recent study published in ACS Nano.
The researchers created a metal-free device out of laser-induced graphene that, when attached to a patient's shoes or clothing, generates static electricity from a heel strike or an arm swinging against the torso. They noted that their findings could enable the future development of more "practical" medical wearables requiring continual charging.
The generator was especially successful when attached to a flip-flop sandal: "The nanogenerator embedded within a flip-flop was able to store 0.22 millijoules of electrical energy on a capacitor after a 1-kilometer walk," lead author Michael Stanford, PhD, said. "This rate of energy storage is enough to power wearable sensors and electronics with human movement."
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