Innovative Self-Powered Sensing: Potential of Fabrigami and Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Joint Biomechanics Monitoring

Abstract

This work presents a high-performance, self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) embedded into an origami-inspired fabric (“fabrigami”) structure for real-time joint biomechanics monitoring. The device consists of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the electronegative layer and silver-doped cellulose acetate (Ag-CA) as the electropositive layer, with enhanced surface charge density and mechanical durability. The fabrigami architecture amplifies contactseparation dynamics, enabling efficient detection of movements during joint motion while preserving conformability and air permeability. The optimized TENG based on 1.5% Ag in CA against PVDF exhibits remarkable electrical output characteristics, including an open-circuit voltage of 155.9 V, short-circuit current density of 8.134 mA m−2, and transferred charge density of 65.62 µC m-, with an instantaneous peak power density of 0.029 W m−2 achieved through an 11 MΩ external load resistance. The power conversion efficiency is 4.6–92.8% for 100–5 µm elastic compression of electrospun samples under 10 N, 2 Hz actuation. Sensor stability is observed over 15 000 cycles. The fabrigami knee sleeve includes a Bluetooth-enabled microcontroller transmitting real-time motion data wirelessly to measure joint angles and distinguish movement activities. This work demonstrates a novel strategy combining material innovation (Ag-CA nanofibers) with structural configurability to create a breathable and power-autonomous smart textile.