Nanopillar Arrayed Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a Self-Powered Sensitive Sensor for a Sleep Monitoring System

A flexible and low-cost triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on a patterned aluminum–plastic film and an entrapped cantilever spring leaf is developed as a self-powered sensitive triboelectric sensor for sleep–body movement monitoring. The working mechanism and the impact factors of electric output performance were systematically investigated and elaborated. Due to the patterned nanostructures of the recently designed TENG, both the output voltage and current are greatly enhanced, and thereby the sensitivity of the device is significantly improved. The self-powered and sensitive device has been demonstrated as a smart body motion sensor of sleep monitoring for diagnosis of sleep disorders due to its high sensitivity and excellent stability. This work may promote the application of self-powered TENGs for healthcare and be helpful for the development of real-time mobile healthcare services and smart external portable electronics.