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Leveraging body dielectric polarization for ambient electromagnetic energy recovery via e-textile

Author

Listed:
  • Yuanlong Li

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Weifeng Yang

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Alexander V. Shokurov

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Carlo Menon

    (ETH Zurich)

Abstract

Ambient electromagnetic energy surrounds us in daily life and holds great potential for powering the future distributed wearable electronics. However, current electromagnetic energy harvesting methods suffer from reflection losses and parasitic effects, typically generating only nanowatt-level power, which is insufficient for flexible electronic systems. Here, we propose a body dielectric polarization-enabled textile for electromagnetic energy recovery. By harnessing the space charge/ dipole polarization in the body, the textile can directly convert electromagnetic energy from skin surface without additional power generation entities. Due to the body dielectric polarization mechanism, the textile can recover up to 10.2 mW/person (10.01 dBm) from a common laptop during daily typing, surpassing most state-of-the-art electromagnetic energy harvesters. We further demonstrate the textile by continuously powering a wireless heart rate belt for overnight heart rate and ECG monitoring without a battery. This body dielectric polarization energy recovery strategy provides inspiration for future distributed flexible energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanlong Li & Weifeng Yang & Alexander V. Shokurov & Carlo Menon, 2025. "Leveraging body dielectric polarization for ambient electromagnetic energy recovery via e-textile," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-64053-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64053-2
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