Triboelectric generator produces electricity by harnessing friction between surfaces: Could touch screens generating own electricity?
Monday, July 9, 2012 - 16:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers have discovered yet another way to harvest small amounts of electricity from motion in the world around us -- this time by capturing the electrical charge produced when two different kinds of plastic materials rub against one another. Because the devices can be made approximately 75 percent transparent, they could potentially be used in touch screens to replace existing sensors. “Transparent generators can be fabricated on virtually any surface,” said one of the researchers. “This technique could be used to create very sensitive transparent sensors that would not require power from a device’s battery.”