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Nano Research 2023, 16(1): 1269-1276 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4766-8
Research Article | Issue | Published: 30 August 2022

A self-powered piezoelectret sensor based on foamed plastic garbage for monitoring human motions

Show Author's Information Yujun Shi1,  Kaijun Zhang1,  Sen Ding2,  Zhaoyang Li1,  Yuhao Huang1,  Yucong Pi1,  Dazhe Zhao1,  Yaowen Zhang1,  Renkun Wang1,  Binpu Zhou2,  Zhi-Xin Yang3( ),  Junwen Zhong1( )
Department of Electromechanical Engineering and Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Macau 999078, China
State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City and Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
Keywords:
wearable electronics, mobile health, self-powered, pressure sensor, piezoelectret
Topics:
Nanogenerators Pressure sensors
Cite this article:
Shi Y, Zhang K, Ding S, et al. A self-powered piezoelectret sensor based on foamed plastic garbage for monitoring human motions. Nano Research, 2023, 16(1): 1269-1276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4766-8
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Constructing piezoelectret based on foamed plastic garbage is an advisable strategy for obtaining self-powered flexible electromechanical sensors with good performances. Herein, a self-powered piezoelectret sensor with basic material of low density polyethylene (LDPE) foamed plastic garbage is proposed, with characteristics of easy fabrication, excellent flexibility, and high equivalent piezoelectric coefficient d33 value up to ~ 1,100 pC/N. The output stability is verified by continuously stimulating a sensor for ~ 180,000 cycles under low and high applied pressure, and the variations of peak outputs are less than 5.5%. Applications for measuring low- and high-pressure signals from human body are achieved. Assembled with a wristband, a sensor is demonstrated for detecting the human pulse waves. Moreover, real time human sitting information is wirelessly monitored with a smart chair based on 4 pixels sensors array.


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Electronic supplementary material
About this article

A self-powered piezoelectret sensor based on foamed plastic garbage for monitoring human motions

Show Author's information Yujun Shi1, Kaijun Zhang1, Sen Ding2, Zhaoyang Li1, Yuhao Huang1, Yucong Pi1, Dazhe Zhao1, Yaowen Zhang1, Renkun Wang1, Binpu Zhou2, Zhi-Xin Yang3( ), Junwen Zhong1( )
Department of Electromechanical Engineering and Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Macau 999078, China
State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City and Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China

Abstract

Constructing piezoelectret based on foamed plastic garbage is an advisable strategy for obtaining self-powered flexible electromechanical sensors with good performances. Herein, a self-powered piezoelectret sensor with basic material of low density polyethylene (LDPE) foamed plastic garbage is proposed, with characteristics of easy fabrication, excellent flexibility, and high equivalent piezoelectric coefficient d33 value up to ~ 1,100 pC/N. The output stability is verified by continuously stimulating a sensor for ~ 180,000 cycles under low and high applied pressure, and the variations of peak outputs are less than 5.5%. Applications for measuring low- and high-pressure signals from human body are achieved. Assembled with a wristband, a sensor is demonstrated for detecting the human pulse waves. Moreover, real time human sitting information is wirelessly monitored with a smart chair based on 4 pixels sensors array.

Keywords: wearable electronics, mobile health, self-powered, pressure sensor, piezoelectret

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Publication history
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Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 12 April 2022
Revised: 21 June 2022
Accepted: 12 July 2022
Published: 30 August 2022
Issue date: January 2023

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press 2022

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the funding support from the Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR (FDCT) (Nos. 0059/2021/AFJ, 0040/2021/A1, 0018/2019/AKP, and SKL-IOTSC(UM)-2021-2023), and the Start Research Grant from University of Macau (No. SRG2021-00001-FST).

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