By converting motion and vibration into electricity, this advancement powers small electronics and wearable sensors—paving the way for self-sustaining technology in health and environmental monitoring.
Researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) have developed a low-cost, high-efficiency energy-harvesting device using everyday single-sided tape. Teir study showcases a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that converts mechanical energy, such as movement, vibration, or friction, into electricity through the triboelectric effect. This effect generates a voltage when two different materials come into contact and then separate. Traditionally, TENGs using double-sided tape had limitations due to excessive stickiness, which required significant force to detach the layers.
To overcome this, the UAH team, led by Dr. Moonhyung Jang and Dr. Gang Wang, replaced the double-sided tape with thicker single-sided tape featuring a polypropylene backing and acrylic adhesive. This adjustment allowed the surfaces to stick and unstick easily, enabling the TENG to operate at much higher frequencies—up to 300 Hz—significantly improving its power generation capabilities.
The enhanced TENG design is placed on a vibrating platform that repeatedly brings the tape layers into contact and then separates them, producing up to 53 milliwatts of electricity—enough to light 350 LEDs or power a laser pointer. This level of output, achieved using low-cost materials like Scotch™ tape, aluminum, and plastic film, highlights the device’s affordability and scalability. The researchers also successfully integrated the TENG into a wearable biosensor to detect arm movements and an acoustic sensor capable of responding to sound waves. These applications show great promise for health monitoring, injury prevention, and performance enhancement in athletes through real-time muscle activation tracking.
The team plans to expand TENG applications through further research and has submitted a disclosure for energy harvesting and wearable sensor technology, with a patent application in progress. They are also working on additional designs, including sound sensors. One of the most significant outcomes of this research is overcoming the traditionally low operational frequency of TENGs, which now makes higher power output and broader applications—from sensors to battery charging—a more tangible reality.
