Imagine charging your cell phone or iPod by waving your hand,or stretching your arm,or taking a stroll. Well,it could be a reality soon. Scientists are mulling a technology which can convert mechanical energy from body movements or the flow of blood in the body into electric energy that may be utilised to power a broad range of electronic devices without batteries. This research will have a major impact on defense technology,environmental monitoring,biomedical sciences and even personal electronics, lead researcher Zhong Lin Wang of the Georgia Institute of Technology said. In fact,the new nanogenerator could have countless applications,among them a way to run electronic devices used by the military when troops are far in the field. According to the researchers,harvesting energy from the environment by converting low-frequency vibrations,like simple body movements,the beating of the heart or movement of the wind,into electricity,using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires that conduct the electricity. The ZnO nanowires are piezoelectric - they generate an electric current when subjected to mechanical stress. The diameter and length of the wire are 1/5,000th and 1/25th the diameter of a human hair.
