Korean researchers have developed a way to efficiently turn noise and vibrations that may irk us every day into an efficient source of power.<br />Such waste energy has potential to be used in IoT and wearable devices.<br />Park Se-young has more. <br />Buildings and bridges are often equipped with sensors to monitor their structural health.<br />However, the batteries powering the sensors sometimes need replacing, which is both costly and dangerous.<br />Now, Korean researchers have developed a system that provides a renewable energy source for such sensors by harvesting waste energy.<br />A phononic crystal structure first collects energy from sounds and vibrations produced by structures, …then converts the energy into electricity.<br />The metamaterial-based system was able to produce 22 times more energy compared to existing energy harvesting technology.<br />It's the first technology of its kind to obtain several milliwatts of power, which is enough to power sensors.<br />The system is expected to have a variety of applications, such as in IoT sensors.<br /><br /><br />"We're looking forward to huge market growth as there's a demand for wireless sensors in many areas like the wearables market and industrial settings."<br /><br />The findings were published in the journal Nano Energy.<br />Park Se-young, Arirang News. <br />
