Stretchable Thermoplastic Elastomer Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Wind Energy Harvesting and Self‐Powered Gesture Sensing

Abstract Numerous flexible and wearable devices are in dire need of stretchable power sources for future smart innovations and applications. These devices must endure large deformations and harvest energy from mechanical stress–strain changes to enable truly self‐powered wearables. In this work, a stretchable thermoplastic elastomer, styrene‐ethylene‐butylene‐styrene (SEBS), is effectively used to fabricate triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) for harvesting energy from mechanical motion, wind, and skin‐attachable gesture sensing. The SEBS‐based TENG delivers an output of 0.228 W m⁻² under 10 N of force, while exhibiting linear dependence on force. The excellent processability of SEBS enables scalable, low‐cost, and straightforward fabrications suitable for commercial productions. Furthermore, leveraging SEBS’s flexibility, a flapping‐style wind energy harvester is developed, capable of working under very low to high wind velocities. This device addresses challenges faced by conventional wind harvesters, including material degradation and poor low‐wind performance, through innovative material engineering and structural design choices. Additionally, for gesture sensing, SEBS enables the development of a stretchable sensor responsive to flexing during human or robotic movements. This sensor seamlessly integrated with current cost‐effective systems, push real‐time smartphone notifications, showcasing its practical applicability. Overall, this multifunctional SEBS‐based TENG devices advances sustainable energy generation and self‐powered sensing for next‐generation wearable technologies.