UW researchers develop wearable tech that powers batteries using body heat

A downside to wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers is that they consistently need to be charged. A new technology developed at the University of Washington (UW) may have the power to change that—literally.

The university says a team of researchers developed a wearable electronic prototype that can power small electronics such as batteries and LEDs using body heat.

“As soon as you put the device on, the LED lights up,” said senior author Mohammad Malakooti , UW assistant professor of mechanical engineering in a news release.

“This wasn’t possible before.”

Unlike traditional devices that use heat to generate electricity, this one is flexible so it can conform to the body.

“This device is also resilient — it still functions even after being pierced several times and then stretched 2,000 times,” according to the news release.

In addition to powering batteries, Malakooti says he thinks the device can be used to help technology that tends to get too hot.

“This could be especially helpful in data centers, where servers and computing equipment consume substantial electricity and generate heat, requiring even more electricity to keep them cool,” Malakooti said.

“Our devices can capture that heat and repurpose it to power temperature and humidity sensors. This approach is more sustainable because it creates a standalone system that monitors conditions while reducing overall energy consumption. Plus, there’s no need to worry about maintenance, changing batteries, or adding new wiring.”

Everything except the semiconductors used in the device was designed and developed in Malakooti’s lab .

The team’s prototypes were recently published in the journal, Advanced Materials.

Additional co-authors are Youngshang Han , a UW doctoral student in mechanical engineering, and Halil Tetik , who completed this research as a UW postdoctoral scholar in mechanical engineering and is now an assistant professor at Izmir Institute of Technology.