Electricity-generating rubber chips could power cell phones, more

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Engineers at Princeton University have developed power-generating rubber films that could use energy from everyday body movements such as breathing and walking to power cell phones, pacemakers and more.

The "piezo-rubber chips" are made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanoribbons embedded in silicone rubber sheets and produce electricity when flexed. PZT, said to be the most efficient piezoelectric material, is able to convert 80% of applied mechanical energy to electrical energy, making it 100 more times efficient than quartz, according to Princeton professor Michael McAlpine.

Currently, up to 100 PZT strips can fit in a millimeter of space, and since it's being placed on silicone, the technology is biocompatible. McAlpine says the chips could be implanted in the body to perpetually power medical devices, and the body wouldn't reject them. It could also be used in shoes to generate power from walking, and much more.

Interestingly, while the chips create electricity when flexed, the reverse is also true, they flex when electrical current is applied, opening the door for even more possibilities. Princeton didn't mentioned when the technology might find mainstream use.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/37752-electricity-generating-rubber-chips-could-power-cell-phones-more.html

 

[TomSEA]

Geez...who the hell thinks up this stuff??

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

People who are far more ambitious than myself.

 

[Eddie_42]

TomSEA said:
Geez...who the hell thinks up this stuff??

Professors at Princeton.

Pretty nifty stuff. I can see this getting used in a way to harness natural energy. Wind and waves to be particular. Semi depend on the energy it takes to move it: If its like a piece of salt-water taffy or flexible like a bed sheet.

It would also be important to note the power capacity. a few micro volts? maybe even a whole volt?

 

[Timonius]

Human electric power plants! Hmmmmm....

 

[Tekkaraiden]

That is really kewl.

 

[compdata]

I have been watching the piezoelectric material advances for years. It is getting closer and closer to being commercially viable for everyday use, and will certainly bring a lot of advances in micro electronics and robotics.

 

[compdata]

Eddie_42 said:
It would also be important to note the power capacity. a few micro volts? maybe even a whole volt?

Power generating capacity is defined by the amount of Watts something can generate. Voltage is only half of the equation. P= V * I (where I = current in Amps).

Wikipedia has a very good article on Piezoelectric material if you are interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric

 

[Puiu]

I want numbers. Can it really power a phone just by walking a few steps or do we need to jog kilometers just to talk for a minute.

 

[fwilliams]

lets call it called flubber

now you can charge your electric car with peddle power

 

[TorturedChaos]

The tech sounds really cool. All sorts of possibilities for it, but I do have to wonder like this guy...

Puiu said:
I want numbers. Can it really power a phone just by walking a few steps or do we need to jog kilometers just to talk for a minute.

I know the it says you can fit "up to 100 PZT strips can fit in a millimeter of space", so even if they don't put out a lot of power they don't take up much space. But how many would you need to say keep your cell phone charged? Or an MP3 player charged?

 

[SgtBlades]

fwilliams said:
now you can charge your electric car with peddle power

I think we might just see a modern flintstones

 

[Guest]

Damn! What now?! While the world is busy fighting the terrorist and the terrorism, good scientist are all busy building good stuff...but are they really good enough for us? This one invention of Princeton University Professor might put everyone in danger...not only he discover it as good as it is, he also put everything in jeopardy specially our world we live now. Oh, well F*** it all! Now, we need to be more carefull than ever...!

 

[Guest]

Wow. Imagine the factory that produces these things. I worked at a regular RAM factory and am still in shock at how much resources it takes to make them. Could this actually be worth the long term effects such as resource depletion, pollution (from fabrication and disposal), new kinds of cancer or psychological damage to users of this technology? There is a Tesla quote something like, "our technology has surpassed our humanity".