This Wearable Device Generates Power From Bending Finger, and Can Capture Memories

Researchers have developed an experimental wearable device that powers up from a user's bending finger while also possessing the capability to create and store memories.

This significant advancement marks a substantial stride towards advanced health monitoring and other innovative technologies.

Wearable Device Generating Power From a User's Bending Finger

This wearable device is crafted around a singular nanomaterial, seamlessly integrated into a flexible casing designed to fit snugly onto a person's finger.

This nanomaterial empowers the device to generate power when the user bends their finger. Notably, its ultra-thin composition facilitates memory-related functions.

Typically, multifaceted devices necessitate the intricate layering of various materials, presenting a time-consuming challenge in achieving precise stacking of nanomaterials.

However, the team, led by RMIT University and the University of Melbourne in collaboration with other Australian and international institutions, has successfully developed a proof-of-concept device.

This device utilizes bismuth, a low-temperature liquid metal rust known for its safety and suitability for wearable applications. Dr. Ali Zavabeti, the senior lead researcher, envisioned the potential for this invention to lead to the creation of medical wearables capable of monitoring vital signs.

Zavabeti emphasized, "The innovation was used in our experiments to write, erase and re-write images in nanoscale, so it could feasibly be developed to one day encode bank notes, original art or authentication services."

This creation exhibits responsiveness to movements associated with human activities, particularly stretching, positioning it as a promising candidate for wearable technologies.

In tests involving natural motion behavior with the device affixed to a finger joint, an average output peak of approximately 1 volt was recorded, according to Zavabeti.

Reading, Writing, and Erasing

The device excels in executing memory functions, including "read," "write," and "erase." This was exemplified through the depiction of the RMIT logo and a square-shaped insignia.

These images were inscribed and stored in a space that could accommodate 20 repetitions within the width of a human hair. Lead author and PhD student Xiangyang Guo from RMIT, highlighted the rapidity of their printing technique for bismuth rust, also known as oxide.

"We fundamentally investigated this instant-printing technique for the first time using low-melting point liquid metals," Guo noted.

This research underscores the immense potential of engineering materials at the nanoscale across various functions, which span from sensory applications to energy harvesting and memory capabilities.

Bismuth oxide can be tailored to furnish critical memory functionality, doubling as a semiconductor for computational purposes. It also qualifies as a nanogenerator, signifying energy efficiency sourced from environmental vibrations and mechanical movements.

Moreover, bismuth oxide exhibits a likelihood of causing less skin irritation compared to silicon, in addition to its durability and integration potential within wearable technologies.

The team is keen to partner with industry collaborators for extended development and prototyping, aiming to apply their methodology to various low-temperature liquid and solid metals and alloys.

This endeavor holds the promise of advancing personalized wearables even further. The findings of the team were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.