E Romero et al 2009 Physiol. Meas. 30 R35 doi:10.1088/0967-3334/30/9/R01
E Romero1, R O Warrington2 and M R Neuman3
Show affiliationsEnergy scavenging has increasingly become an interesting option for powering electronic devices because of the almost infinite lifetime and the non-dependence on fuels for energy generation. Moreover, the rise of wireless technologies promises new applications in medical monitoring systems, but these still face limitations due to battery lifetime and size. A trade-off of these two factors has typically governed the size, useful life and capabilities of an autonomous system. Energy generation from sources such as motion, light and temperature gradients has been established as commercially viable alternatives to batteries for human-powered flashlights, solar calculators, radio receivers and thermal-powered wristwatches, among others. Research on energy harvesting from human activities has also addressed the feasibility of powering wearable or implantable systems. Biomedical sensors can take advantage of human-based activities as the energy source for energy scavengers. This review describes the state of the art of energy scavenging technologies for powering sensors and instrumentation of physiological variables. After a short description of the human power and the energy generation limits, the different transduction mechanisms, recent developments and challenges faced are reviewed and discussed.
87.80.-y Biophysical techniques (research methods)
87.19.R- Mechanical and electrical properties of tissues and organs
Issue 9 (September 2009)
Received 10 March 2009, accepted for publication 3 July 2009
Published 17 August 2009
E Romero et al 2009 Physiol. Meas. 30 R35
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