Ultrathin Nanogenerators as Self‐Powered/Active Skin Sensors for Tracking Eye Ball Motion

TLDR

The study develops an ultrathin (≈16 µm) piezoelectric nanogenerator to serve as an active or self‑powered sensor for detecting local skin deformation. The nanogenerator consists of an anodic aluminum oxide insulating layer on thin Al foil with aligned ZnO nanowire arrays, its performance was modeled by finite‑element simulation, and it was attached to an eyelid to transduce eye‑ball motion into electrical signals. Because it requires no external power, the device can monitor sleeping behavior, brain activity, and other skin deformations, including eye‑ball motion, in a self‑powered manner.

Abstract

Ultrathin piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) with a total thickness of ≈16 μm is fabricated as an active or self‐powered sensor for monitoring local deformation on a human skin. The NG was based on an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as an insulating layer grown on a thin Al foil by anodization, on which a thin film made of aligned ZnO nanowire compacted arrays is grown by solution chemistry. The performance of the NG is characterized with the assistance of the finite element method (FEM) simulation. The extremely thin NG is attached on the surface of an eyelid, and its output voltage/current characterizes the motion of the eye ball underneath. Since there is no external power needed for the operation of the NG, this self‐powered or active sensor can be effective in monitoring sleeping behavior, brain activities, and spirit status of a person as well as any biological associated skin deformation.