The scientists harvesting energy from humans to power our wearables
by Ucilia Wang from on (#12VFS)
An MIT lab has produced a device the size of a stamp that harvests energy from bending movements. Commercialising it could be a breakthrough for wearables
Inside a lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sangtae Kim has been tinkering with a paper-thin device the size of a stamp. Kim is interested in harvesting energy from humans (though not the kind that turns people into batteries in the movie, The Matrix). He wants to harness motions, such as walking and running, to power sensors and wearable gadgets.
"It provides a new way of harvesting human energy," Kim says of his prototype device, which he described recently in an article co-authored with his adviser, Prof Ju Li and other researchers.
