Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States.
ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2023 May 8;9(5):2070-2086. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00800. Epub 2021 Nov 4.
Recent advancements in wearable technology have improved lifestyle and medical practices, enabling personalized care ranging from fitness tracking, to real-time health monitoring, to predictive sensing. Wearable devices serve as an interface between humans and technology; however, this integration is far from seamless. These devices face various limitations such as size, biocompatibility, and battery constraints wherein batteries are bulky, are expensive, and require regular replacement. On-body energy harvesting presents a promising alternative to battery power by utilizing the human body's continuous generation of energy. This review paper begins with an investigation of contemporary energy harvesting methods, with a deep focus on piezoelectricity. We then highlight the materials, configurations, and structures of such methods for self-powered devices. Here, we propose a novel combination of thin-film composites, kirigami patterns, and auxetic structures to lay the groundwork for an integrated piezoelectric system to monitor and sense. This approach has the potential to maximize energy output by amplifying the piezoelectric effect and manipulating the strain distribution. As a departure from bulky, rigid device design, we explore compositions and microfabrication processes for conformable energy harvesters. We conclude by discussing the limitations of these harvesters and future directions that expand upon current applications for wearable technology. Further exploration of materials, configurations, and structures introduce interdisciplinary applications for such integrated systems. Considering these factors can revolutionize the production and consumption of energy as wearable technology becomes increasingly prevalent in everyday life.
近年来，可穿戴技术的进步改善了生活方式和医疗实践，使个性化护理得以实现，涵盖了从健身追踪到实时健康监测，再到预测传感。可穿戴设备是人类与技术之间的接口；然而，这种集成远非无缝。这些设备面临着各种限制，例如尺寸、生物兼容性和电池限制，其中电池体积大、昂贵且需要定期更换。人体能量收集通过利用人体持续产生的能量，为电池供电提供了一种很有前途的替代方案。本综述论文首先调查了当代能量收集方法，重点研究了压电性。然后，我们强调了此类自供电设备的材料、配置和结构。在这里，我们提出了一种薄膜复合材料、剪纸图案和仿生结构的新组合，为监测和传感的集成压电系统奠定基础。这种方法有可能通过放大压电效应和操纵应变分布来最大化能量输出。为了避免体积大、刚性器件设计，我们探索了用于顺应式能量收集器的组成和微制造工艺。最后，我们讨论了这些收集器的局限性以及未来的方向，这些方向扩展了当前可穿戴技术的应用。对材料、配置和结构的进一步探索为这种集成系统引入了跨学科应用。考虑到这些因素，可以彻底改变随着可穿戴技术在日常生活中越来越普及，能源的生产和消费方式。
