Human Body Energy Harvesting Solutions for Wearable Technologies

Abstract

The paper presents an overview of recent and noninvasive technologies used to harvest electrical energy on the surfaces of human body. New electronic materials developed to provide sufficient comfort for the people wearing them are analyzed, and an inventory of common sensors for monitoring applications, which can profit from these technologies, is provided. In this way, a comprehensive panorama of what is currently available to design ultra-low-power systems is given. The purpose of the paper is to provide the basis for the development of non-invasive wearable devices, powered by the energy harvested on the surfaces of human body, which consider wearability and comfort constraints.