On Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Human Motion

Abstract

With the rapid development of low-power communication technology and microelectronics technology, wearable and portable embedded health monitoring devices, micro-sensors, and human body network positioning devices have begun to appear. For seeking reliable energy sources to replace battery on these devices, it is of great significance for developing low power products to explore the research of piezoelectric effect in conversion of human motion into electricity. Based on the different human motions, the existing technology of piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) is firstly classified, including PEHs through heel-strike, knee-joint, arm motion, center of mass. The technology is then summarized and the direction of future development and efforts is further pointed out.