TY - JOUR
T1 - Piezoelectric energy harvesting for self‐powered wearable upper limb applications
AU - Liu, Yuchi
AU - Khanbareh, Hamideh
AU - Heidari, Hadi
AU - Ghannam, Rami
PY - 2021/8/31
Y1 - 2021/8/31
N2 - Wearable devices can be used for monitoring vital physical and physiological signs remotely, as well as for interacting with computers. Widespread adoption of wearables is somewhat hindered by the duration time they can be used without re‐recharging. To ensure uninterrupted operation, these devices need a constant and battery‐less energy supply. Scavenging energy from the wearable's surroundings is, therefore, an essential step towards achieving genuinely autonomous and self‐powered devices. While energy harvesting technologies may not completely eliminate the battery storage unit, they can ensure a maximum duration of use. Piezoelectric energy harvesting is a promising and efficient technique to generate electricity for powering wearable devices in response to body movements. Consequently, we systematically survey the range of technologies used for scavenging energy from the human body, with a particular focus on the upper‐limb area. According to our review and in comparison to other upper limb locations, highest power densities can be achieved from piezoelectric transducers located on the wrist. For short and fast battery charging needs, we therefore review the range of materials, architectures and devices used to scavenge energy from these upper‐limb areas. We provide comparisons as well as recommendations and possible future directions for harvesting energy using this promising technique.
AB - Wearable devices can be used for monitoring vital physical and physiological signs remotely, as well as for interacting with computers. Widespread adoption of wearables is somewhat hindered by the duration time they can be used without re‐recharging. To ensure uninterrupted operation, these devices need a constant and battery‐less energy supply. Scavenging energy from the wearable's surroundings is, therefore, an essential step towards achieving genuinely autonomous and self‐powered devices. While energy harvesting technologies may not completely eliminate the battery storage unit, they can ensure a maximum duration of use. Piezoelectric energy harvesting is a promising and efficient technique to generate electricity for powering wearable devices in response to body movements. Consequently, we systematically survey the range of technologies used for scavenging energy from the human body, with a particular focus on the upper‐limb area. According to our review and in comparison to other upper limb locations, highest power densities can be achieved from piezoelectric transducers located on the wrist. For short and fast battery charging needs, we therefore review the range of materials, architectures and devices used to scavenge energy from these upper‐limb areas. We provide comparisons as well as recommendations and possible future directions for harvesting energy using this promising technique.
UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/nano.202000242
U2 - 10.1002/nano.202000242
DO - 10.1002/nano.202000242
M3 - Review article
SN - 2688-4011
VL - 2
SP - 1459
EP - 1479
JO - Nano Select
JF - Nano Select
IS - 8
ER -