Self-powered thin-film motion vector sensor

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 8031
• Main Authors: Jing, Qingshen, Xie, Yannan, Zhu, Guang, Han, Ray P. S., Wang, Zhong Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 14.08.2015; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Pub. Group
• Subjects: 639/766/25; 639/925/927/511; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9031

Harnessing random micromeso-scale ambient energy is not only clean and sustainable, but it also enables self-powered sensors and devices to be realized. Here we report a robust and self-powered kinematic vector sensor fabricated using highly pliable organic films that can be bent to spread over curved and uneven surfaces. The device derives its operational energy from a close-proximity triboelectrification of two surfaces: a polytetrafluoroethylene film coated with a two-column array of copper electrodes that constitutes the mover and a polyimide film with the top and bottom surfaces coated with a two-column aligned array of copper electrodes that comprises the stator. During relative reciprocations, the electrodes in the mover generate electric signals of ±5 V to attain a peak power density of ≥65 mW m −2 at a speed of 0.3 ms −1 . From our 86,000 sliding motion tests of kinematic measurements, the sensor exhibits excellent stability, repeatability and strong signal durability. Kinematic sensors are required in many industrial applications, but the current sensor designs rely on power input from external sources. Here, Jing et al. harness the micro-meso scale ambient energy via a triboelectric generator to self-power sensors for one- and two-dimensional motion vector sensing.