Characterization of Pyroelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting from Human Body

Pyroelectric energy harvesting is one of the feasible ways to harvest waste heat from human body. Heat is constantly lost from human body to maintain a constant temperature through a process known as thermoregulation. The maximum heat lost from the human body to the environment occurs through the skin. The heat loss varies throughout the human body, but, the most at the feet, the palms, and the exterior back which are the optimal areas for pyroelectric energy harvesting. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of harvesting energy from the human body to power portable electronic devices such as computer mice. Current computer mice use either batteries or USB ports for power and run continuously, consuming significant amount of power. We present the design of a pyroelectric computer mouse, that uses the heat of the user's palm to power or supplement the energy demand of the mouse. Important parameters such as the heat generation rate of users, the design of the pyroelectric system, and the optimal operating conditions that provides highest power output, will be briefly discussed using commercially available materials.