Thin film piezoelectrics make power while you work
1 min read
Australian researchers have, for the first time, characterised the ability of piezoelectric thin films to turn mechanical pressure into electricity.
The research is being heralded as a major step towards the development of self powering portable electronics. According to lead researcher Dr Madhu Bhaskaran, it could enable people to charge their mobile phone by walking, or power their laptop by typing.
"Our research shows piezoelectrics could even be used to convert blood pressure into a power source for pacemakers - essentially creating an everlasting battery," said Dr Bhaskaran. "Our study focused on thin film coatings because we believe they hold the only practical possibility of integrating piezoelectrics into existing electronic technology."
The next key challenge for the team is to amplify the electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric materials to enable them to be integrated into low cost, compact structures. "If we can amplify the power, which we think will take three years, it should be fairly quick to commercialise it," concluded Bhaskaran.
The research was carried out by researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and has been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
