Smart textile converts body heat into electricity

August 14, 2024 – Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Canada, have developed a smart fabric with these remarkable capabilities. The fabric has the potential for energy harvesting, health monitoring and motion tracking applications.
The new fabric can convert body heat and solar energy into electricity, potentially enabling continuous operation without the need for an external power source. Various sensors that monitor temperature, stress and more can be integrated into the material.
In the future, the material could be used for a jacket that captures solar energy to keep itself warm, or a shirt that can measure your heart rate and temperature. Clothing for those athletes could track their performance without the need for (large) batteries.
The research is published in the Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

More can be found on the Waterloo website>