Available Kinetic Energy Sources on the Human Body during Sports Activities: A Numerical Approach Based on Accelerometers for Cantilevered Piezoelectric Harvesters

Damien Hoareau (1, 2) , Gurvan Jodin (2, 1) , Abdo-Rahmane Anas Laaraibi (1, 2, 3) , Jacques Prioux (1, 4) , Florence Razan (2, 1, 3)

1 ENS Rennes - École normale supérieure - Rennes
2 SATIE - Systèmes et Applications des Technologies de l'Information et de l'Energie
3 IETR - Institut d'Électronique et des Technologies du numéRique
4 M2S - Laboratoire Mouvement Sport Santé

Physical activity involves movements, which can be considered sources of kinetic energy, that are expected to be important during sports activities. Several transducers can transform this energy into electrical energy. Piezoelectric generators are widely used, and several applications highlight their relevance. However, the generated output power is location dependent, and the analysis of the placement of this kind of generator can be challenging. In order to assess the availability of kinetic energy sources, an acceleration data analysis method is presented. Temporal and harvester model-based studies, using data from 17 inertial measurement units (IMUs) located across the whole human body, were conducted. The results show that piezoelectric cantilever-beam harvesters can be very sensitive to impacts. Extremity segments, such as the feet or hands, can be considered as good energy sources. The most relevant features are proposed as criteria to easily evaluate the harvestable energy sources.

Keywords: kinetic energy; physical activity; IMU; wearable electronics; simulation; piezoelectric harvester; signal processing

Domains: Engineering Sciences [physics]

Damien Hoareau, Gurvan Jodin, Abdo-Rahmane Anas Laaraibi, Jacques Prioux, Florence Razan. Available Kinetic Energy Sources on the Human Body during Sports Activities: A Numerical Approach Based on Accelerometers for Cantilevered Piezoelectric Harvesters. Energies, inPress, 16 (6), pp.2695. ⟨10.3390/en16062695⟩. ⟨hal-04050412⟩