Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a wearable device that generates power when touched or sweated on, potentially opening up new opportunities for smaller electronics, including maybe VR technology.
In a paper entitled A passive perspiration biofuel cell: High energy return on investment, the team goes into detail regarding the potentially game-changing wearable. The thin, flexible device is worn around the users’ fingertip and collects small amounts of sweat via an absorbant padding composed of carbon foam electrodes. These electrodes feature special enzymes that activate a unique chemical reaction between lactate and oxygen molecules which, in turn, generates small amounts of electrical power.
[PhilNote: TWO energy sources!] According to the team, biofuel cells located in the wearable are capable of harvesting ∼400 mJ/cm2 of energy during sleep; enough to power something like a digital (non-smart) wristwatch. In addition to sweat, piezoelectric generators allow the user to generate additional energy with light finger presses.