(Nanowerk Spotlight) Imagine floors that could light your path during a power outage or alert you to an intruder – all powered by your footsteps. While this concept has appealed to architects and engineers, creating practical smart floors has proven challenging. Regular cleaning damages electronic components, while moisture from spills and washing disrupts power generation. Most existing solutions require complex wiring systems and external power sources, making them expensive to install and maintain.
Security cameras and motion sensors currently dominate building monitoring, but they have significant drawbacks. Cameras require continuous power, raise privacy concerns, and can’t function during blackouts. Motion sensors frequently trigger false alarms and provide limited information about movement patterns. A floor that could both generate its own power and sense activity would solve many of these problems but developing materials that combine these capabilities while standing up to daily wear has remained elusive.
Recent advances in materials science have created new possibilities. Scientists have discovered that certain materials generate electrical charges when pressed together and separated – similar to the static electricity you feel after walking across carpet. This principle, called the triboelectric effect, can produce useful amounts of power from everyday movements like footsteps.
A promising solution has emerged in the form of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) – devices that convert mechanical motion into electricity through the triboelectric effect, which generates electrical charges when certain materials contact and separate. TENGs have gained attention because they can generate useful amounts of power from everyday movements while being simple to construct and maintain. However, making TENG-based systems durable enough for real-world use, especially in floors that need regular cleaning, has remained challenging.
Engineers at the Korea University of Technology and Education have now created a smart floor covering that harnesses this effect while solving previous durability problems. They developed an innovative type of TENG with a ‘sandwich-style’ design. Unlike traditional TENG configurations that expose their working components, this version protects its electrode layer between sheets of a specialized composite material that generates electricity when stepped on. This composite combines three key ingredients: a flexible silicone rubber base, ceramic particles that help store electrical charges, and specially treated graphite that enhances power generation.
a) A vibrant schematic depicting the casting process of the EC-BT-FG composite film, showcasing the intricate layers and materials involved. b) A detailed illustration of the SWSE-TENG fabrication, highlighting the innovative steps in its construction. (Image: Reprinted with permission by Wiley-VCH Verlag)
The researchers tested different mixtures until finding the ideal recipe – 5% ceramic (barium titanate) and 5% treated graphite in the silicone base. When someone wearing normal shoes or gloves steps on the floor, this combination generates up to 1000 volts and 25 microamps of current – enough to power small electronic devices directly.
Unlike previous attempts at smart flooring, this system continues working even after being submerged in water for over 24 hours. It functions reliably in environments from -5 °C to 70 °C and humidity levels up to 60%. The material repels water naturally and can be cleaned with standard floor cleaning products without losing effectiveness.
The system generates different electrical signals for walking versus running, allowing it to detect various types of movement. In demonstrations, the researchers used this capability to create floors that automatically light up when stepped on, providing emergency pathway lighting during power outages. They also showed how the system could detect unauthorized entry into restricted areas, triggering alarms without visible sensors.
The technology proved particularly useful for sports applications. When installed around court boundaries, it accurately detected line touches in games like kabaddi, where precise position tracking helps referees make correct calls. The system could potentially replace multiple cameras and sensors currently used in sports monitoring.
The floor covering can power small devices using only harvested energy from footsteps. In tests, it operated LED displays and kept a digital stopwatch running. This self-powering capability makes it especially valuable for emergency lighting and security systems that need to function during power outages.
While the individual components build on existing technology, the novel combination and protective structure achieve new levels of practical useability. The system’s ability to withstand regular cleaning while maintaining performance removes a major barrier to widespread adoption of smart flooring.
The researchers are now working to scale up manufacturing and reduce costs. They envision applications in homes, offices, sports facilities, and public buildings. The technology could transform how buildings monitor occupant safety and security, creating spaces that actively contribute to user wellbeing without requiring visible sensors or complex wiring.
The advance marks an important step toward buildings that can sense and respond to occupants while maintaining the durability needed for real-world use. As manufacturing costs decrease, this type of smart flooring could become a standard feature in new construction, enhancing safety and security through unobtrusive environmental sensing.
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