Your early morning run might soon do more than just boost your health—it could also help power your wearable devices, thanks to groundbreaking nanotechnology developed at the University of Surrey. The Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) at Surrey has created highly energy-efficient, flexible nanogenerators that boast a 140-fold increase in power density compared to conventional models. This innovation could lead to nano-devices with efficiency levels comparable to today’s solar cells.
Published in the journal Nano Energy, the research highlights how Surrey’s devices can convert small amounts of everyday mechanical energy, such as motion, into significantly higher electrical power. This process is akin to how an amplifier boosts sound in an electronic system. For example, if a traditional nanogenerator produces 10 milliwatts of power, this new technology could enhance that output to over 1,000 milliwatts, making it highly suitable for various energy-harvesting applications.
“The dream of nanogenerators is to capture and use energy from everyday movements, like your morning run, mechanical vibrations, ocean waves, or even opening a door,” said Md Delowar Hussain, lead author of the study from the University of Surrey. He added, “Our key innovation lies in fine-tuning the technology with 34 tiny energy collectors using a laser technique that can be scaled up for manufacturing to increase energy efficiency further.”
What makes this development particularly exciting is its potential to rival the power of solar panels. The high energy harvesting density of these devices could one day enable them to run anything from self-powered sensors to smart home systems that never require battery changes.
The device in question is a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which captures and converts energy from simple, everyday movements into electricity. TENGs work by utilizing materials that become electrically charged when they come into contact and then separate, similar to the static electricity you generate when rubbing a balloon on your hair.
Dr. Bhaskar Dudem, co-author of the study, hinted at the future implications of this technology, saying, “We are soon going to launch a company focused on self-powered, non-invasive health care sensors using triboelectric technology. Innovations like these will drive new spin-out activities in sustainable health tech, improve sensitivity, and emphasize industrial scalability.”
Professor Ravi Silva, Director of the Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey and co-author of the study, highlighted the broader impact of this technology: “With the ever-increasing technology around us, it is predicted that we will have over 50 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the next few years that will need energy to be powered. Local green energy solutions are crucial, and this could be a convenient wireless technology that harnesses energy from any mechanical movement to power small devices.”
Professor Silva also emphasized the transformative potential of these nanogenerators, envisioning their use in IoT-based self-powered smart systems, autonomous wireless operations, security monitoring, smart home systems, and even in supporting dementia patients—a field where the University of Surrey has significant expertise.
“We are incredibly excited about the potential of these nanogenerators to transform how we think about energy,” he concluded.
By Impact Lab
