The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a device that allows clothes and shoes to produce electricity using their frictional forces and to store it.
The device has a self-charging nanogenerator that produces electricity using frictional force and has a micro super-capacitor power supply that stores the electricity and supplies it to other wearable electronic devices.
The KERI adopted the method of integrating single-wall carbon nanotubes, which have excellent electrical conductivity, with elastic polymers.
The newly-developed device is elastic in all directions while having strong enough durability to endure more than 10,000 uses in KERI’s in-house performance tests.
A possible application would be for hiking or climbing apparel that charges power supply devices to be used for flashlights and smartphones in emergencies.
