Research Progress in Intelligent Exercise Monitoring Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator

The coming of the 5G era in the Internet of Things (IoT) opens progress in cross-sectoral research in multiple disciplines. All physiological indicators of the human body are collected through sensors to provide new ideas for developing innovative sports, wearable devices, and modern intelligent venues for IoT. Conventional sensors require an external power source and have a limited lifespan and maintenance cost. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG), a new self-powered sensing technology that collects mechanical energy from bodily motions, can break through these limitations and be used in intelligent sports applications. Firstly, TENG can capture kinematic, biochemical, electrophysiological, and tissue dynamics information from the human body. Secondly, the low-frequency mechanical energy of the human body is not only physiological information but can also be used to power microelectronic devices to transmit big data in sports. In conclusion, we discuss TENG-based wearable sensing systems’ challenges and future opportunities.