E-Waste to Harvesting Energy: Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Based Self-Powered Wireless Sensor System for Step Counting and Game Control

The increasing generation of electronic waste contributes significantly to environmental damage, particularly water contamination, and poses health risks. Additionally, reliance on fossil fuels worsens ecological harm. To address this, a sustainable, cost-effective step count and gaming triboelectric nanogenerator (SG-TENG) system was developed using recycled materials. The multilayer SG-TENG is created through a low-cost, environmentally friendly in-house manufacturing method that doesn't require cleanroom facilities or special equipment. Made from used plastic, gel pen ink, and graphite from drained battery cells, the SG-TENG achieves an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 8.52 V and a short circuit current (Isc) of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$9.54 \mu ~\mathrm{A}$</tex>. Integrated into a shoe, it powers an ESP32 microcontroller without an external power supply, making it self-powered. The ESP32 processes motion data to track steps and functions as a Bluetooth gaming controller with the sensor acting as a joystick. This self-powered technology, generating renewable energy from recycled materials, offers a long-term, cost-effective solution for a more sustainable future.