Triboelectric nanogenerator based E-skin for wearable energy harvesting and pressure sensing

The market for wearable sensors is growing rapidly as interest in personal health has recently increased, and the Internet of Things (IoT) has developed. However, supplying power to wearable sensors, such as body-attached flexible devices and E-skin, is still a matter of concern. Herein, we report a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based E-skin that can harvest bio-friendly energy and self-powered pressure sensing with its own power source. Au-coated Cu yarn and polytetrafluoroethylene-molded micro-patterned polydimethylsiloxane were used to fabricate E-skin with excellent stability, high sensitivity, elasticity, and flexibility. The TENG-based E-skin generates an output peak voltage and current of up to 200 V and 2.7 µA, respectively, and is stable with 4,500 cycles of pushing motion without any deterioration of the output signal. In addition, it is possible to operate an electronic watch by charging a capacitor and measuring the arterial pulse of the wrist as a pressure sensor. The results of this study present potential solutions for power source and signal monitoring within soft/wearable devices and human-machine interfaces.