Highly Flexible, Breathable, and User-Comfortable All-Porous Polymeric Triboelectric Sensors for Wearable Sign Language Interpretation

Abstract

We present a fully porous Ecoflex-based triboelectric nanogenerator (FPE-TENG) engineered for flexible, breathable, and cost-effective self-powered wearable applications. The FPE-TENG employs a unique design composed of entirely porous materials, with porous Ecoflex as the electrification material and porous Ecoflex/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the electrode. The fabrication of porous Ecoflex utilizes an innovative methodology that employs a sacrificial brown sugar template, resulting in a highly porous structure that enhances breathability and user comfort for prolonged wearable applications. The FPE-TENG operates in single-electrode mode, generating electrical outputs from human motion with consistent voltage and current over various low frequencies. The FPE-TENG exhibits exceptional mechanical robustness, enduring repeated mechanical deformation and surpassing 12,000 operational cycles without any decrease in electrical performance. The FPE-TENG offers superior moisture dissipation and thermal management capabilities that alleviate common wearability issues, such as sweat accumulation and skin discomfort. Additionally, the real-time demonstration of self-powered sign language interpretation, facilitated by detecting joint movements and generating corresponding electrical signals for text conversion, has been successfully implemented to improve communication for individuals with hearing impairments. With its straightforward fabrication process, cost-effectiveness, mechanical durability, and reliable electrical performance, the FPE-TENG represents a promising solution for future self-powered wearable electronics, energy harvesting, and human-machine interaction systems.