Scientists to bring piezoelectrics and rubber together to form flexible, wearable energy harvester

Piezoelectrics are nothing new -- though most applications, they've proven to be far more theoretically useful than practical. Still, the technology is starting to move in a direction that could prove more applicable to everyday situations -- and a new piezo material recently developed could really get the ball moving. Called PZT, it's made of nano-sized fibers of lead zirconate titanate, which are applied to thin (and we mean thin) ribbons of flexible silicone rubber. The material is super efficient, and has the ability to convert mechanical energy into electricity at a rate of about 80 percent, and, because it's made of flexible rubber, it would be well-suited to converting electricity from the energy of body movements, meaning all sorts of wearable fun may be imminent. There's no word on any practical application of this yet -- so we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled for you.

[DepMcL Posted Mar 2nd 2010 1:51AM]

The porn industry gone green, now producing renewable energy! Fancy.

[abedinthehouse Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:08AM]

@DepMcL
Just another reason to tell the wife why we shouldn't call it off every other night...let the daily---correction, nightly fun begin!

[FitFan Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:38AM]

@DepMcL
LOL ... thanks

[Dante of the Inferno Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:46AM]

@DepMcL

Condoms powering vibrators?!?! It's madness, I tell you, MADNESS!!!

[perpetual98 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 9:38AM]

@abedinthehouse

How is 1.5 minutes of energy collection going to help the world? :p

[Shunnabunich Posted Mar 2nd 2010 1:27PM]

"Babe, let's do it right now."
"What...like, right here in the kitchen?"
"Yeah. I'm feelin' frisky...and, uh...OK, fine, my phone's almost dead."

[kojo87 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 1:56AM]

does this kinda freak anyone else out or is it just me?

[Tern Posted Mar 2nd 2010 1:58AM]

Have you noticed the bending within car tires? At least that's where i see this thing being used...

[B3astofthe3ast Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:01AM]

@Tern Its still stealing energy away from the car.

[Noswal Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:44AM]

@B3astofthe3ast
The tires steal energy anyway...

[B3astofthe3ast Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:09AM]

@Seph It adds weight to the car, meaning the car has to use more energy to move along than it would give to these things.

[Tern Posted Mar 2nd 2010 6:36AM]

@B3astofthe3ast I would say that the weight and resistance is minimal, but that's just me

[bighap Posted Mar 2nd 2010 1:58AM]

Replace the current piezoelectrics under my Storm 2 screen with this and charge my Storm 3 as I type. Please.

[HawtDawg Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:12AM]

The power source for Wii controller 2.0

[nate2g0559 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:47AM]

I think the first use of this will be a pair of running shorts with a built in iPod charger. Lol.

[FitFan Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:40AM]

@nate2g0559 A second power source in my shorts? That sounds dangerous.

[Xyned Posted Mar 2nd 2010 4:08AM]

How about this; tall skyscrapers sway somewhat due to wind, which causes huge stresses and strains on their skeleton. This energy is probably lost as heat. Strategically placing these peizo-electric materials on the major stress points could contribute to powering the building.

[CafeLogic Posted Mar 2nd 2010 4:24AM]

"Piezoelectrics are nothing new -- though most applications, they've proven to be far more theoretically useful than practical."

That is grossly incorrect. The most prominent example would be the quartz crystals every modern computer relies on the keep bits in sync and simply to keep the time. There are all sorts of other things like pressure sensor, microphones, and of course those annoying tinny sounding speakers found in small devices. Piezoelectrics are actauly crucial to almost all modern electronics.

[atomfried Posted Mar 2nd 2010 8:49AM]

@CafeLogic Thank You! I was going to write this as well.
This statement is absurd. Even the computer, the author write this post with would not work with an oscillator crystal as the time base.

[davidbowser Posted Mar 9th 2010 1:22PM]

@CafeLogic Thanks. Exactly what I was thinking. Piezoelectrics are for more ubiquitous than sexy today.

And PZT is not really new, but rather their process for putting it on a flexible material is new. Back in my previous life, I worked for Dr. Richard Riman at Rutgers. His team and others were doing PZT research 15+ years ago.

[godsAngryTesticles Posted Mar 2nd 2010 5:29AM]

When can I buy this and wear it around my testicles?

The rubbing of my testes would practically Pre-charge my Palm.

[machloja Posted Mar 2nd 2010 8:38AM]

Ooo yeaa, I'll enjoy doing push ups and throwing light bolts out of my ass, at the same time.

[anderlan Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:57PM]

This could be the answer to kids atrophying on the couch with games. Take the AC away and force them to go out and play in their special rubber clothes in order to run charge batteries for the xbox and the tv.

[tompccs Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:28PM]

Seriously looking forward to this. What's the one thing holding back mobile technology? No, it's not lack of multitasking, because we all know that multitasking doesn't actually exist.

[PurkyaPaP Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:59PM]

Surely the most useful use of energy harvesting of this kind would be medical. For example integrate them into pacemakers. Low energy consumption device, currently people with a pacemaker would have to have repeat surgery to replace batteries, (admittedly after tens of years), so if this technology can reduce the amount of intrusive surgery on any patient then its an amazing piece of technology.

[Sogeking Posted Mar 2nd 2010 8:42PM]

PZT is just Pb (Lead) Zr (Zirconium) T (Titananium(ate))

[Debgorah Posted Mar 3rd 2010 7:07AM]

Why don't they make a skintight suit with this and use itto power the exoskeleton thing thats being worked on? They do t say what the poweroutput is I don't think so idk if it gives off enough to run it