Piezoelectric chin device harvests jaw movements for energy
Two researchers share the wish for more autonomy for mobile technologies, greater convenience for consumers contemplating electronic wearables, and better solutions for avoiding the environmental effects of cast-off batteries. A quest for human-powered electronics may be worth contemplating; in this context their piezoelectric chin-strap to harvest energy from chewing is drawing interest. Kinetic energy (limb motion), strain energy (muscle force), and thermal energy (body heat) are three forms of energy that can be harvested from the human body, said the two in their report, "Flexible piezoelectric energy harvesting from jaw movements," which appears in Smart Materials and Structures. Their paper details the energy conversions and transformations that occur while the device is in operation.