The first device that allows you to accumulate energy from the sweat of the fingertips is applied as a small patch.
It is presented in the study published in the journal Joule by the group of the University of California at San Diego coordinated by Joseph Wang.
Flexible and small in size, about one square centimeter, the device can be easily applied to the fingertips, to simultaneously collect energy from multiple sources, even during sleep. According to the authors of the study, the device represents "a significant step forward for self-sustainable wearable electronics".
Previous sweat-based energy devices, the scholars point out, required strenuous exercise, such as running or cycling. But the large amount of energy consumed during exercise can easily cancel that gained from sweat, with an energy yield often less than 1%. Instead, this device does not rely on irregular external sources, such as sunlight or movement - all it takes is finger contact, to gather enough energy to power some small wearable electronic devices.
“We wanted to create a device suitable for everyday activity that required almost no energy investment. And this device - Wang concluded - makes you forget to wear it, and you can go to sleep, or for example work at your desk, while still generating energy ”.
