Micro-Engineered Devices for Motion Energy Harvesting

MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) is being widely investigated for use in harvesting energy from motion, e.g. human body movement or machine vibration. MEMS harvesters are of interest for powering small electronic devices, particularly wireless sensor nodes. This paper summarises the general structures of these energy harvesters and their achievable power levels, and compares the different transduction mechanisms used. Some new device concepts are introduced, and likely future developments are discussed.