Harnessing Your Body Heat to Fuel Batteries
New wearable technology may soon transform your body’s heat into electricity.
Imagine a future where you can go for a run or teach a group exercise class and convert your body heat to power your smartwatch.
This type of technology is what Jianliang Xiao, PhD, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado University Boulder, is developing. “In the future, we want to be able to power your wearable electronics without having to include a battery. . . . The nice thing about our thermoelectric device is that you can wear it, and it provides you with constant power.” Researchers expect the device to be on the market within 5–10 years.
The study is available in Science Advances (2021; 7 [7], eabe0586). Watch this video at https://bit.ly/3pR5QDF to learn more.
See also: New Wearables Can Measure Body Chemistry
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
