UW News

Mohammad Malakooti

September 10, 2024

UW researchers develop a stretchable, wearable device that lights up an LED using only the warmth of your skin

A person in an office with a black sleeve on their arm. On the sleeve is a gray device and an LED, which is glowing red

UW researchers have developed a flexible, durable electronic prototype that can harvest energy from body heat and turn it into electricity that can be used to power small electronics, such as batteries, sensors or LEDs. This device is also resilient — it still functions even after being pierced several times and then stretched 2,000 times.