Development of A Pressure-Sensitive Triboelectric Self-Powered Sensor Using Protruded Hemispherical Array Structures

Rapid advances in sensing technologies have led to the rapid development of wearable electronics for biomedical applications. Among these, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a promising technology for harvesting energy from the environment. TENG can be used as a self-powered wearable sensor to generate electricity by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. In this context, a pressure-sensitive single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (SE-TENG) is developed. A $4\times 4$ array of deformable protruded hemispherical structures is constructed on the elastomer to enhance the contact surface area. This design also allows for the energy harvesting from different magnitudes of hand tapping forces. In our experiments, the output voltage is proportional to the hand tapping forces. Three different diameters of protruded hemispherical structures were compared, and the larger diameter shows a larger output voltage. This proposed SE-TENG has been demonstrated for ball bouncing game, which is useful for rehabilitation applications.