Hybrid nanogenerator for self-powered object recognition

Energy harvesting systems, including piezoelectric (PENG), triboelectric (TENG), and pyroelectric (PYNG) nanogenerator technologies, have emerged as one of the major future energy solutions. Energy harvesting eliminates the need for conventional batteries and encourages eco-friendly alternatives. This study reports hydrothermally synthesized BaTiO₃ (BTO) particles with a tetragonal symmetry for hybrid energy harvesting. BTO particles are incorporated with PDMS at various wt% to form a flexible composite film. The 15 wt% BTO-PDMS composite/Al hybrid device (PENG-TENG) produces a peak voltage of 100 V, a current of 980 nA, and a charge of 17 nC, generating a peak power output of 33.64 μW at 100 MΩ. Furthermore, integrating this HNG (external hybridization) yielded an output of 101 V and 980 nA, demonstrating practical applicability. HNG is also employed to interact by touching various objects at different temperatures. The pyroelectric behavior of BTO allows direct thermal sensing of the object. The signals produced are processed using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based object recognition system, which achieved a remarkable classification accuracy of 99.27% for various objects. External hybridization improves energy efficiency, representing a huge step forward in sustainable technology applications. This research paves the way for developing hybrid energy harvesters and can be employed further for extremely precise battery-free object recognition systems. This unique hybrid nanogenerator, which combines pyroelectric, piezoelectric, and triboelectric components, represents a new method of self-powered object detection. External hybridization improves energy efficiency, representing a huge step forward in sustainable technology applications.