Sticky, Stiff and Itchy generate power

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Continuing on the topic of alternative power harnessing, the latest exploration from Joanna Berzowska and the folks at Extra-Soft Labs is a series of power-generating garments titled Captain Electric. Sticky, Stiff and Itchy harness energy both passively and actively through the activity of fidgeting, fussing, stretching and pulling at our clothes.

"Using inductive generators, we convert kinetic energy from the human body into electric energy and store it within a power cell integrated into the garments. Rather than attempting to conceal the generators and their operation, we chose to overtly integrate them into the garment concept and design." (captain-electric.net)

Here's how Captain Electric describes each of the garments:

Sticky Sticky is a hooded leather dress that impedes natural body movement. The sleeves of the dress are tethered to hard shells on the chest and hips. This restriction forces the body to move in more pronounced and powerful motions, actively generating energy to fuel the dress. The accumulated power feeds a series of LEDs integrated in silicone forms sewn into the pocket, concealed from view.

Stiff Reminiscent of the posture caused by muscular stiffness, the silhouette of Stiff draws emphasis to the back and shoulders of the individual. As she pushes her back against the wall or experiences pressure on her back from another user, the energy generated activates an mp3 player and speaker integrated into the hood, which plays soothing and comforting (though often conflicting) messages.

Itchy Itchy’s tailored leather silhouette is decorated with large reconfigurable wool necklaces. The face is surrounded with layered structure, drawing attention to its features while also offering a sense of comfort and protection from other peoples’ gaze. The layering of necklaces is evocative of bulky wool turtlenecks and their itchiness compels the user to grasp them and move them back and forth on the body.

Read more on Captain Electric. Images from Captain Electric.

Even couch potatoes can generate power

One of the many major challenges of mobile systems such as wearables, is the power source. Scientists and engineers are constantly figuring out smaller, more efficient, cheaper and more powerful ways to power our devices. One area of investigation is around the power that is generated from our own body movements. According to Henry Fountain of the New York Times, it doesn't take much, even a couch potato can generate power. For example, the act of breathing can generate about a watt of power. The challenge is how to harvest that engery and put it to good use.

"Michael C. McAlpine of Princeton and colleagues have developed a promising approach for converting body movements into electricity: printing piezoelectric crystals onto flexible, biocompatible rubberlike material. Continue reading on The New York Times.

I would love to get my hands on one of these!

Photo by Frank Wojciechowski.

Generating energy from your wrist

Designers Mathieu Servais, Camille Lefer, Clément Faydi and Mickaël Denié have created the Dyson Energy bracelet that generates power from your wrist. It "uses Seebeck effect to harness energy and power your mobile phones for a few precious minutes more..."

"The thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage and vice versa. This typically includes three separately identified effects, the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, and the Thomson effect." source

Finding an alternative source to generate voltage is one amazing accomplishment, but I wonder if the thermoelectric effect will generate enough current to power most devices. This is a terrific concept and I hope the designers continue to push the boundaries on what is possible.

Here's a vid of the concept:

Knee brace creates electricity

Physiologist Max Donelan is specializing in the biomechanics of walking. One of his current projects is a biomechanical energy harvester. Sensors are incorporated into a knee brace that help control and assist hamstring movement. Energy is harvested when the foot comes down to the ground during the walking cycle (source).

Not the most aesthetically pleasing implementation, but the possibilities for wearable technology are incredible. Here's how Donelan describes it: "Portable electricity represents much more than just a convenience to some people. It allows a soldier to communicate, navigate and get home safely," he said. "It dramatically improves the quality of life for stroke victims, amputees, and others who rely on power-assisted medical devices to get around." (source)

Read the full article on cnet.com

Spray-on Solar Cells

(image source via Solar Power Technofix)

PYRON SOLAR INC., in cooperation with Boeing-Spectrolab has invented miniature spray-on solar cells that can be dissolved and printed onto flexible material and there's a lot of buzz about the opportunites that this new alternative source of power introduces.

Solar-Cells.com envisions the cells sprayed directly into garment textiles: "A sweater is already absorbing all sorts of light both in the infrared and the visible," said Sargent. "Instead of just turning that into heat, as it currently does, imagine if it were to turn that into electricity."

Xiaomei Jiang of the University of South Florida says: "I think these materials have a lot more potential than traditional silicon," Jiang said. "They could be sprayed on any surface that is exposed to sunlight — a uniform, a car, a house." (Source via MSNBC) And even our clothing.

Fibers harvest energy from movement

On the never-ending quest to find an alternative source of power that is efficient and portable, researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are exploring piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowires that harvest energy from the wearer's natural movement. Here's how they describe it on nanoarchitecture.net:

"The researchers constructed pairs of textile fibers covered with piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowires that generate electricity in response to applied mechanical stress. The resulting current flow from many fiber pairs woven into a shirt or jacket could allow the wearer’s body movement to power a range of portable electronic devices."

Now, imagine if the nanowires are woven into energy-generating textiles that are seamlessly integrated directly into the aesthetics, cut, and flow of a garment.