A Self‐Powered Angle Sensor at Nanoradian‐Resolution for Robotic Arms and Personalized Medicare

Abstract

As the dominant component for precise motion measurement, angle sensors play a vital role in robotics, machine control, and personalized rehabilitation. Various forms of angle sensors have been developed and optimized over the past decades, but none of them would function without an electric power. Here, a highly sensitive triboelectric self‐powered angle sensor (SPAS) exhibiting the highest resolution (2.03 nano‐radian) after a comprehensive optimization is reported. In addition, the SPAS holds merits of light weight and thin thickness, which enables its extensive integrated applications with minimized energy consumption: a palletizing robotic arm equipped with the SPAS can precisely reproduce traditional Chinese calligraphy via angular data it collects. In addition, the SPAS can be assembled in a medicare brace to record the flexion/extension of joints, which may benefit personalized orthopedic recuperation. The SPAS paves a new approach for applications in the emerging fields of robotics, sensing, personalized medicare, and artificial intelligence.

Super‐Durable, Low‐Wear, and High‐Performance Fur‐Brush Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Wind and Water Energy Harvesting for Smart Agriculture

“…[ 7 ] TENG originating from the Maxwell's displacement current [ 8 ] can effectively harvest environmental mechanical energy to generate electricity from various sources, [ 9 ] such as wind, [ 10 ] human body motion, [ 11 ] and ocean waves, [ 12 ] etc. Meanwhile, it can also act as an active sensor without batteries for vibration sensing, [ 13 ] tactile mapping, [ 14 ] angle detecting, [ 15 ] and other movement related monitoring. [ 16 ] The self‐powered systems composed of TENGs and sensors possess the ability of energy collection and environmental information monitoring.…”

Recent progress of triboelectric nanogenerators: From fundamental theory to practical applications

“…Copyright 2015, Nature Publishing Group. Robotics: Reproduced with permission 19 . Copyright 2020, Wiley‐VCH.…”

Design of a Human Lower Limbs Exoskeleton for Biomechanical Energy Harvesting and Assist Walking

“…The self‐powered angle sensor based on the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which will provide the nice choice for promotion and application of detection and sensing method in the future. [ 33,34 ]…”

“…The self-powered angle sensor based on the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which will provide the nice choice for promotion and application of detection and sensing method in the future. [33,34] The self-powered angle sensor can be combined with the robot joints without interference from its rotation/motion. It has the advantages of a lightweight, low cost, sensitivity, and signal-tonoise ratio.…”