Design of a body energy harvesting system for the upper extremity

Abstract

Converting energy from human upper limb motions into electrical energy is a challenge, as low frequency movements have to be converted into repetitive movements to effectively drive electromechanical generators. The prototype of an electromagnetic linear generator with gyrating mass is presented. The mechanical motion model first was simulated and the design was evaluated during different activities. An average power output of about 50 µW was determined with a maximum power output of 2.2 mW that is sufficient to operate sensors for health monitoring.