In this paper, we present our vision of what kind of wearable devices and how they can be powered by the heat of human beings and by using ambient light. The basic principles of designing body-powered devices and ways of their hybridizing with photovoltaic cells are discussed. The mechanisms of thermoregulation in humans and the laws of thermodynamics enable placing a distinct boarder between realistic targets and the science fiction. These allow prediction of application areas for wearable energy harvesters accounting for competitive batteries with long service life. The existing family of body-powered wearable devices and new technologies for thermopiles are discussed. The theory and practice point at the necessity of using microelectronic and microelectromechanical system technologies for the target application area. These technologies for thermopiles offer the possibility of reduced production cost. Therefore, autonomous systems powered thermoelectrically could be successfully marketed. The related aspects of design and fabrication are discussed.

Topics
Wearable technology, Thermopile, Microelectronics, MEMS technology, Power electronics, Thermoelectric generator, Batteries, Solar cells, Energy harvesting, Laws of thermodynamics
1.
V.
 
Leonov
 and
R.
 
Vullers
,
Proceedings of the Fifth European Conference on Thermoelectrics (ECT ‘07)
, Odessa, Ukraine, 10–12 September
2007
, pp.
47
–
52
.
2.
Heat Loss from Animals and Man
, edited by
J.
 
Monteith
 and
L.
 
Mount
 (
Butterworths
,
London
,
1974
).
Google Scholar
 
3.
V.
 
Leonov
,
B.
 
Gyselinckx
,
C.
 
Van Hoof
,
T.
 
Torfs
,
R.
 
Yazicioglu
,
R.
 
Vullers
, and
P.
 
Fiorini
, in
Proceedings of the Second European Conference on Smart Systems Integration (SSI ’08)
, Barcelona, Spain, 9 and 10 April
2008
, edited by T. Gessner (
VDE
,
Berlin
,
2008
), pp.
217
–
224
.
4.
V.
 
Leonov
 and
P.
 
Fiorini
,
Proceedings of the Fifth European Conference on Thermoelectrics (ICT ’07)
, Odessa, Ukraine, 10–12 September
2007
, pp.
129
–
133
.
5.
V.
 
Leonov
 and
R. J. M.
 
Vullers
,
J. Electron. Mater.
 
38
,
1491
(
2009
).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-008-0638-6
Google Scholar
 
6.
T.
 
Torfs
,
V.
 
Leonov
, and
R. J. M.
 
Vullers
,
Sensors & Transducers J.
 
80
,
1230
(
2007
).
Google Scholar
 
7.
T.
 
Torfs
,
V.
 
Leonov
,
C.
 
Van Hoof
, and
B.
 
Gyselinckx
,
Proceedings of the Fifth IEEE International Conference on Sensors
, Daegu, Korea, 22–25 October
2006
, pp.
427
–
430
.
8.
T.
 
Torfs
,
V.
 
Leonov
,
R. F.
 
Yazicioglu
,
R. J. M.
 
Vullers
,
P.
 
Fiorini
,
B.
 
Gyselinckx
, and
C.
 
Van Hoof
,
Proceedings of the Seventh IEEE International Conference on Sensors
, Lecce, Italy, 26–29 October
2008
, pp.
1269
–
1272
.
9.
M.
 
Van Bavel
,
V.
 
Leonov
,
R. F.
 
Yazicioglu
,
T.
 
Torfs
,
C.
 
Van Hoof
,
N. E.
 
Posthuma
, and
R. J. M.
 
Vullers
,
Sensors & Transducers J.
 
94
,
103
(
2008
).
Google Scholar
 
10.
R. F.
 
Yazicioglu
,
P.
 
Merken
,
B.
 
Puers
, and
C.
 
Van Hoof
,
IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits
 
42
,
1100
(
2007
).
https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2007.894804
Google Scholar
 
11.
N.
 
de Vicq
,
F.
 
Robert
,
J.
 
Penders
,
B.
 
Gyselinckx
, and
T.
 
Torfs
,
Proceedings of IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BIOCAS ’07)
, Montreal, Canada, 27–30 November
2007
, pp.
163
–
166
.
12.
R. F.
 
Yazicioglu
,
P.
 
Merken
,
R.
 
Puers
, and
C.
 
Van Hoof
,
IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits
 
43
,
3025
(
2008
).
https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2008.2006462
Google Scholar
 
13.
I.
 
Doms
,
P.
 
Merken
,
R.
 
Mertens
, and
C.
 
Van Hoof
,
Digest of Technical Papers IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC)
, San Francisco, CA, 7–11 February
2009
, pp.
300
–
301a
.
14.
V.
 
Leonov
,
J. Electron. Mater.
 
38
,
1483
(
2009
).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-008-0649-3
Google Scholar
 
15.
V.
 
Leonov
,
Z.
 
Wang
,
P.
 
Fiorini
, and
C.
 
Van Hoof
,
Sensors and Transducers J.
 
103
,
29
(
2009
).
Google Scholar
 
16.
V. Z.
 
Wang
,
V.
 
Leonov
,
P.
 
Fiorini
, and
C.
 
Van Hoof
, “
Realization of wearable miniaturized thermoelectric generator for human body applications
,”
Sens. Actuators, A
(in press).
17.
V.
 
Leonov
,
Z.
 
Wang
,
R.
 
Pellens
,
C.
 
Gui
,
R.
 
Vullers
, and
J.
 
Su
,
Proceedings of the Fifth International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC)
, St. Louis, MO, 25–27 June
2007
, AIAA Paper No. 2007-4782-754.
18.
J.
 
Su
,
R.
 
Vullers
,
M.
 
Goedbloed
,
Y.
 
van Andel
,
R.
 
Pellens
,
C.
 
Gui
,
V.
 
Leonov
, and
Z.
 
Wang
,
Proceedings of the Seventh Power MEMS Workshop
, Freiburg, Germany, 28 and 29 November
2007
, pp.
153
–
156
.
19.
J.
Su
 ,
M.
Goedbloed
 ,
R. J. M.
Vullers
 ,
Y.
van Andel
 ,
V.
Leonov
 , and
Z.
Wang
 ,
Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Micro & Nano Engineering
, Ghent, Belgium, September 28–October 1
2009
J.
 
Su
,
M.
 
Goedbloed
,
R. J. M.
 
Vullers
,
Y.
 
van Andel
,
V.
 
Leonov
, and
Z.
 
Wang
 [“
Thermoelectric energy harvester fabricated by stepper
,” special issue of
Microelectron. Eng.
(in press)].
20.
H.
 
Böttner
,
Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Thermoelectrics (ICT ’02)
, Long Beach, CA, 25–29 August
2002
, pp.
511
–
518
.
21.
G.
 
Snyder
,
J.
 
Lim
,
C. -K.
 
Huang
, and
J. -P.
 
Fleurial
,
Nature Mater.
 
2
,
528
(
2003
).
https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat943
Google Scholar
 
22.
S.
 
Sedky
,
A.
 
Kamal
,
M.
 
Yomn
,
H.
 
Bakr
,
R.
 
Ghannam
,
V.
 
Leonov
, and
P.
 
Fiorini
,
Proceedings of the 15th IEEE International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers ’09)
, Denver, CO, 21–25 June
2009
, pp.
1035
–
1038
.
23.
I.
 
Stark
,
Proceedings of the Third IEEE International Workshop on Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks (BSN ’06)
, Boston, MA, 3–5 April
2006
.
24.
V.
 
Leonov
,
R.
 
Vullers
,
M.
 
Goedbloed
, and
Y.
 
van Andel
,
Proceedings of the Sixth European Conference on Thermoelectrics (ECT ’08)
, Paris, 2–4 July
2008
, pp.
O17
–
1
.
25.
V.
 
Leonov
 and
R. J. M.
 
Vullers
, SEMICON Singapore, 20–22 May
2009
, “
Wearable electronics self-powered from the human body: State of the art and perspectives
,” http://www.semiconsingapore.org/ProgrammesandEvents/cms/groups/public/documents/web_content/ctr_029926.pdf.
Google Scholar
 
© 2009 American Institute of Physics.
2009
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.