A switchable fabric-triboelectric nanogenerators (SF-TENGs) profile sensing application

Abstract

Conventionally, the output amplitude of TENGs sensors is detected as the sensing output, where the accuracy and stability are easily affected by environmental interferences such as humidity, temperature and electrostatic coupling with surrounding objects. Meanwhile, the nature of pulse mode voltage output cannot provide information to further generate detailed profile of force variation along time interval when users press a typical TENG working in contact-separation mode. These two critical issues stop the TENGs sensors to be competitive with conventionally commercialized sensors.In this study, a switchable textile-triboelectric nanogenerator (S-TENG) is proposed to offer a solution for these issues. By working on a switchable mode to generate RC discharging voltage, i.e, enabling capacitive sensing, the capacitance of TENGs devices is not affected by environmental interferences. Moreover, a high-frequency switching approach is investigated to generate a continuous profile of time-dependent capacitance change as a function of force variation along time, referring to the continuous sensing parameter. Therefore, S-TENGs offer the sensory information which could not be achieved by any other TENGs so far.