The period, and we all know it at the sight of the latest electricity and gas bills, requires maximum attention to consumption. But how does the need to be more virtuous can be reconciled with that of always having our beloved technological devices fully charged, without forgetting (perhaps) the common goal of being more eco-sustainable? If we look in perspective, one possible path is the one that leads to self-powered wearable devices, which are able to collect energy directly from the individual who wears them to act as micro-generators. We are talking above all about concepts and laboratory experiments, but innovation (as we know) runs fast and today more than ever. The most learned on the subject will certainly not be frightened by hearing terms such as triboelectricity (generated by the contact-grazing between two different materials), piezoelectricity (produced by the mechanical deformation of crystalline materials) or electromagnetism.
Perhaps it will be enough for mere mortals to know that through special devices it is possible to convert the chemical energy that produces the movement of our body into electrical energy. Imagining yourself as a power generator wearing special bracelets or batteries of micro-sensors is not so immediate but in the era of chips under the skin and predictive algorithms there can be anything. Let alone a t-shirt stuffed with invisible technology which, precisely, allows you to accumulate electricity to be used for charging smartphones, smartwatches and other small tech gadgets, taking advantage of the movement and sweat of our body.
The prototype of this decidedly sui generis t-shirt was developed a year ago by some engineers specializing in nanotechnology at the University of California at San Diego and is based on flexible components (biofuel cells and super capacitors) that can be screen-printed on fabrics . The same team of scientists has also given birth to another wearable device, similar to a patch to be applied on the fingertip, which produces energy from the fingertips starting from the sweating of the skin and even imperceptible movements. Is this the future of sustainable charging for our beloved electronic companions?