Mobile Muscle Power

Auckland Bioengineering Institute’s Biomimetics Lab scientists are developing “wearable energy batteries” capable of converting human movement into battery power. These would be light, soft, form-fitting, stretchy materials with mechanical properties that match human muscle. “Imagine soft generators that produce energy by flexing and stretching as they ride ocean waves or sway in the breeze like a tree,” doctoral candidate Thomas McKay said. “One of the most exciting features of the generator is that it’s so simple; it simply consists of rubber membranes and carbon grease mounted in a frame.” The research appears in the American Institute of Physics’ journal Applied Physics Letters.