researchers at CU Boulder have created a new wearable device that can convert body heat into a biological battery. With a thermoelectric system that exploits the differences in temperature to produce electricity, the device not only draws energy from the human body but can also repair itself if damaged.
‘in the future we want to be able to power your portable electronics without having to use a battery’ said Jianliang Xiao, senior author of the new paper and associate professor in the Paul M. Rady department of mechanical engineering at CU Boulder.
the thermoelectric wearable device, in this case a ring, can generate about 1 volt of energy for every square centimeter of skin space. this means that it produces less energy than existing batteries, but still enough to power electronics such as watches or fitness trackers. the fact that it can heal itself and that it is completely recyclable makes it a cleaner alternative to traditional electronics.
‘every time you use a battery, that battery runs out and you will eventually have to replace it’ xiao said. “The nice thing about our thermoelectric device is that you can wear it and it provides you with constant power.”
the wearable is made of a stretchable material called polyimine with a series of thin thermoelectric chips attached to it that are also connected by liquid metal wires. ‘our design makes the whole system stretchable without much stress on the thermoelectric material, which can be very brittle,’ xiao continues. ‘the thermoelectric generators are in close contact with the human body and can use the heat that normally ends up in the environment.’
project info:
name: portable thermoelectric generator
researchers: CU boulder
read paper: here
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February 12, 2021