Recent Progress of Self-Powered Sensing Systems for Wearable Electronics

Small. 2017 Dec;13(45). doi: 10.1002/smll.201701791. Epub 2017 Oct 27.

Abstract

Wearable/flexible electronic sensing systems are considered to be one of the key technologies in the next generation of smart personal electronics. To realize personal portable devices with mobile electronics application, i.e., wearable electronic sensors that can work sustainably and continuously without an external power supply are highly desired. The recent progress and advantages of wearable self-powered electronic sensing systems for mobile or personal attachable health monitoring applications are presented. An overview of various types of wearable electronic sensors, including flexible tactile sensors, wearable image sensor array, biological and chemical sensor, temperature sensors, and multifunctional integrated sensing systems is provided. Self-powered sensing systems with integrated energy units are then discussed, separated as energy harvesting self-powered sensing systems, energy storage integrated sensing systems, and all-in-on integrated sensing systems. Finally, the future perspectives of self-powered sensing systems for wearable electronics are discussed.

Keywords: energy harvest; energy storage; integrated systems; self-powered; wearable sensors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques
  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Wearable Electronic Devices*