Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nanowires Allow For Electricity-Generating Clothing

Posted by Zonk on from the next-step-in-this-direction-is-thermoptic-camoflage dept.

lee1 writes "The latest development in the field of 'energy harvesting', which includes such opportunistic technology such as self-winding watches, generators implanted in soldier's boots, and knee brace dynamos, is a cloth that generates electrical power. The cloth is newly developed by scientists in the US, and can produce up to 80 milliwatts per square metre. It is made from brush-like fibres composed of a Kevlar stalk surrounded by zinc oxide nanowire crystals that generate electricity through the piezoelectric effect. They can be grown on any substrate, including hair. The power harnessed from this effect could be used for anything from cosmetic components to the powering of medical devices."

2 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Dangerous in so many ways! ... by Elvish2012 · · Score: 1, Troll
    What happens when you wrap a very low voltage electro-chemical system in a material that generates electricity (at likely a much higher voltage!)?? ... Cancer? ... significant health problems?? ... disruptions to brain activity???

    Most of the scientific community seems to hold tightly to the notion that the human body is electrically neutral, ignoring that a human being is really an electro-chemical battery! Acupuncture deals with minute changes in the electrical potential of specific areas of the body, which are connected in "meridians" and correspond to all major organ systems. The electrical polarity varies in each part of the body, switching back and forth from slightly positive to slightly negative. These channels or meridians are DC analog. (citation: Robert O. Becker)

    Moreover, all electrical fields produce magnetic fields. There are considerable studies which link low EMF (Electro-Magnetic Fields) with cancers and numerous health problems - even though these results have been suppressed and derided by the cell phone manufacturing companies. AC magnetic fields as low as 2.5 milligauss have been linked to childhood leukemia. Pulsed DC is even worse than AC. (citation: B. Blake Levitt)

    Lastly there is the polarity issue of the magnetic fields that will be created. So called "South Pole" energy is dangerous and unpredictable - even as a Direct Current source. Energies from both poles are created. (citation: Albert Roy Davis Labs)

  2. Re:An interesting application by Charcharodon · · Score: 0, Troll
    Haha, yeah I was thinking along those lines too when I was writing it.

    Of course having a full charge on your cell phone when she calls you while you are "out with the boys" could get you in a lot of trouble.

    " WTF?! Your cell phone battery isn't about to die, YOU'RE CHEATING ON ME! Don't try to tell me you put it on the car charger because took the cable out of your car when I got suspicious.