The award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series of the American Chemical Society's (ACS) explained in its new episode about a nanogenerator that can generate energy from a person’s movements which can be used, for example, to charge an iPod
Nanogenerator produces energy to power a wireless transmission in an advance toward a new genre of wireless devices
In the podcast, Zhong Lin Wang’s, from Georgia Institute of Technology, described the first actual model of this device. Wang with his colleagues increased the energy output by thousand times and voltage by 150 times when compared to previous devices used for that purpose. His achievement was announced at the ACS National meeting in Anaheim, California.
Wang and his team, also demonstrated that they can incorporate such a nanogenerator into an electronic circuit device. The generator has the ability to perform wireless transmission of information to a radio station located up to a 30 ft distance. It can generate electricity using energy derived from simple movements such as blowing air, people walking, and other sources.
According to Wang as stated in the podcast, this discovery paves the way for producing portable electronic devices that can be activated by body movements, without batteries or electrical outlets. These nanogenerators can change lifestyles of people in future, he added. Some nanogenerator examples include, personal electronic devices controlled by nanogenerators affixed to one’s shoe sole, environmental sensors operated by nanogenerators using atmospheric air, and embedded insulin pumps generated by a heartbeat.