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When it comes to the subject of renewable power sources, one of the last things an individual might expect is that of sweat. As bizarre as this concept might sound on the surface, sweat is in fact capable of powering not only fitness trackers, but possibly even smartwatches as well.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have created tech that has the capability of using sweat to replace the use of traditional batteries in devices (as reported by Institute of Engineering and Technology – https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/05/wearables-could-shun-batteries-and-for-sweat-power/)
The way that this unique innovation works is through collecting the sweat one naturally produces, causing the ions to react to the polymers in the technology, creating a reaction that therefore causes electricity.
This hypothesis was in fact tested by strapping a small version of the cell to runners and having them exercise where the cells in turn powered a load of LED’s, proving that not only can it work, but that it’s applications could in fact be much more widespread.
Honor Band 5 Sport (Image credit: Future)
In looking at the research data available, it appears that while this type of technology does work, it doesn’t necessarily eliminate the need for charging your device in the traditional way. It is with this said; however, that this sweat technology could aid standard charging methods, allowing for the devices to be charged far less frequently than they normally would need to.
This technological advancement seems like a perfect marriage for fitness trackers and their users, as typically when one is exercising they would produce the sweat necessary to power the device, yet there are also hopes that this tech can still be applied towards smartwatches as well.
While it appears that this type of technology won’t be ready for a few years at the earliest, one day when these devices hit the open market, they could be incredibly useful and valuable upon its availability. With its everyday use and heavily reduce charging times, along with positive impacts on the environment as well, this is a product to be on the lookout for moving forward, powering the future one device at a time.
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