Industrially Scalable Production of Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Energy Harvesters and Self-Powered Sensors for Motion Sensing

Biomechanical energy harvesting based on the triboelectric effect offers great potential in the fields of wearable electronics and smart textile manufacturing processes. While triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) show immense promise for self-powered wearable electronics, their transition from laboratory prototypes to commercially available products has been hindered by a lack of scalable, cost-effective manufacturing methods. Here, we address this critical industrial gap by introducing an entirely textile-based TENG production platform that leverages high-speed automated embroidery. This study presents a scalable industrial method that uses interlocking embroidery of silver-core PTFE and nylon sheaths to produce self-powered triboelectric sensors and harvesters. This approach overcomes significant challenges in sensor technology, such as high production costs and complex fabrication processes, by reducing manufacturing overhead and enabling flexible design capabilities. A 3.5 × 4.5 cm² embroidered TENG achieves a high sensitivity of 6.3 V/kPa, a response time of ∼70 ms, stability over 30,000 cycles, abrasion resistance of up to 50,000 cycles, and machine washability of more than 50 washes. Moreover, it delivers an open-circuit voltage of ∼326 V, a short-circuit current of ∼12.8 μA, and a maximum peak power density of 652.36 mW/m² at 33 MΩ, enough to illuminate 120 LEDs and charge capacitors to power low-power electronic devices. The self-powered sensors, integrated into the outer sole of a shoe and a doormat, demonstrate human motion sensing to analyze human body movement, pressure distribution, tapping activity, sports sensing, and gait metrics. These sensors transmitted the acquired bio signals wirelessly to an individual's smartphone, which, in turn, connected to a cloud IoT platform─highlighting their potential for mass production of next-generation smart textiles and wearable technology.