Skin device uses motion to power electronics
Can a skin patch power wearables? Skin-based generators have become an area of focus among researchers working on how to scavenge muscle motion whereby skin becomes a charge-collector. A detailed report in IEEE Spectrum said on Wednesday that a team from the National University of Singapore has come up with a generator that converts muscle movements into enough power for small electronics. The device can generate 90 volts of open circuit voltage when touched gently with a finger. The device is as small as a postage stamp. Lokesh Dhakar said in the IEEE Spectrum report that his main goal was to make the device highly flexible so it could conform to human skin well in a patch of any size. Their device was presented at an IEEE conference in Portugal earlier this month which focused on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, the MEMS 2015.