Scientists develop tech powered by movement instead of batteries

By Pol Allingham via SWNS

A waterproof machine interface powered by human movements, rather than batteries, has been developed by scientists.

American scientists developed the wearable human-machine interface (HMI), a term for tech that turns people’s actions into electrical signals, that resists sweat and works underwater while controlling multiple computers, music players and machines.

Wearable HMIs can be used for healthcare. In 2018 the University of Houston created a skin for prosthetic limbs that collects and stores intelligent data on how the wearer moves and what it touches.

However, Jun Chen Research Group's investigation, published in Applied Physics Review, said until now sweaty skin has hampered wearable HMIs’ effectiveness.

The group's creation can generate its own electricity by rolling, folding and stretching, presenting an environmentally friendly and sustainable way to have powerful tech without batteries.

To test the system investigators tapped the machine to turn a lamp off and on and control a music player, while in scenarios mimicking a shower, a rainstorm, or dripping sweat.

The device involves two components: a layer that translates touch into a magnetic field, and a layer that turns the magnetic field to electricity via induction.

To optimize translating movement to electricity, investigators played with the thickness of the flexible protective film and the concentration of magnetic particles.

The author of the study, UCLA’s Jun Chen, said: “Owing to the material's flexibility and durability, the magnetoelastic sensor array can generate stable power under deformations, such as rolling, folding, and stretching.

"Due to these compelling features, the device can be adopted for human-body powered HMI by transforming by transforming human biomechanical activities into electrical signals."

"Our magnetoelastic sensor array not only wirelessly functions as the on and off buttons of a lamp but also controls a music player's command features, representing the actions of play, pause, next, and previous.”