Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, have developed a new technology that generates electricity from vibration, harnessing energy from motion to power electronics like a laptop or smartphone battery while you’re on the go.
“This is a real game changer,” said Dr. Asif Khan, the project’s lead researcher and a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Waterloo. “We have made the first device of its kind that can power electronics at low cost and with unprecedented efficiency.”
So how does it work? Think of the new technology as a tiny wearable generator. It is suitable for wearing during a morning run to charge daily electronics, while contributing to the demand for more sustainable energy resources.
Using Motion to Power Electronics
The tiny device is available in small sizes and can also be sized to fit a varitety of needs. The device works by utilizing the piezoelectric effect, whereby certain materials (like quartz crystals and ceramics) can generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectric is derived from the Greek piezein, which means to squeeze or press, and piezo, which is Greek for “push”. Piezoelectric materials are widely used in sensing technologies such as sonar, ultrasonic imaging, and microwave devices.
The researchers have filed a patent and are collaborating with a Canadian company to commercialize their generator for aviation, focusing on powering systems that monitor aircraft safety equipment.
“Those older materials are brittle, expensive and have a limited ability to generate electricity,” said Dr. Dayan Ban, professor and researcher at the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology said in a statement. “The materials we’ve created for the new generator are flexible, more energy-efficient and cost less.”
The recently released paper detailing the new technology appears in the November edition of Nature Communications.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.