Self-powered wearable IoT sensors as human-machine interfaces

Self-powered wearable Internet of Things (IoT) sensors have made a significant impact on human life and health in recent years. These sensors are known for their convenience, durability, affordability, and longevity, leading to substantial improvements in people’s lives. This review summarizes the development of self-powered wearable IoT sensors in recent years. Materials for self-powered wearable sensors are summarized and evaluated, including nanomaterials, flexible materials, and degradable materials. The working mode of self-powered wearable IoT sensors is analyzed, and the different principles of its physical sensing and chemical sensing are explained. Several common technologies for self-powered wearable IoT sensors are presented, such as triboelectric technology, piezoelectric technology, and machine learning. The applications of self-powered IoT wearable sensors in human-machine interfaces are reviewed. Its current shortcomings and prospects for its future development are also discussed. To conduct this review, a comprehensive literature search was performed using several electronic databases, resulting in the inclusion of 225 articles. The gathered data was extracted, synthesized, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. This review provides a comprehensive analysis and summary of its working mode, technologies, and applications and provides references and inspiration for related research in this field. Furthermore, this review also identifies the key directions and challenges for future research.