A high-applicability, high-durability wearable hybrid nanogenerator with magnetic suspension structure toward health monitoring applications

Wearable health monitoring is becoming increasingly significant due to the pursuit of high-quality life. However, wearable health monitoring devices powered by limited capacities batteries face frequent charging demand and unhandy device replacement. Effective energy scavenging from human locomotion is an alternative approach for powering wearable health monitoring devices. Herein, a novel wearable hybrid nanogenerator (WHG) combining soft-contact triboelectric nanogenerators (SC-TENGs) with three-phase suspension electromagnetic generators (TPS-EMGs) based on a distinctive magnetic suspension structure is designed to harvest human biomechanical energy. The features of frequency increase and automatic reset for the magnetic suspension structure are analyzed by finite element simulations. The SC-TENGs and TPS-EMGs can deliver the maximum instantaneous power of 0.54 mW and 1.81 mW, respectively. For efficiently employing the electric energy derived from the WHG, a power management integrated circuit was manufactured, which not only supplies a stable voltage to suit electronic devices, but also realizes multiple working modes to solve the power mismatch between the WHG and health monitoring applications with different power requirements. Furthermore, a self-powered bracelet with the function of heartbeat monitoring and a wearable blood glucose monitor linked to a smartphone are realized. This work indicates the huge potential of the WHG for powering real-time healthcare monitoring devices, which facilitates the development of self-powered wearable electronics.