A Self-Powered Multifunctional Bracelet for Pulse Monitoring and Personal Rescue

For outdoor workers or explorers who may be exposed to extreme or wild environments for a long time, wearable electronic devices with continuous health monitoring and personal rescue functions in emergencies could play an important role in protecting their lives. However, the limited battery capacity leads to a limited serving time, which cannot ensure normal operation anywhere and at any time. In this work, a self-powered multifunctional bracelet is proposed by integrating a hybrid energy supply module and a coupled pulse monitoring sensor with the inherent structure of the watch. The hybrid energy supply module can harvest rotational kinetic energy and elastic potential energy from the watch strap swinging simultaneously, generating a voltage of 69 V and a current of 87 mA. Meanwhile, with a statically indeterminate structure design and the coupling of triboelectric and piezoelectric nanogenerators, the bracelet enables stable pulse signal monitoring during movement with a strong anti-interference ability. With the assistance of functional electronic components, the pulse signal and position information of the wearer can be transmitted wirelessly in real-time, and the rescue light and illuminating light can be driven directly by flipping the watch strap slightly. The universal compact design, efficient energy conversion, and stable physiological monitoring demonstrate the wide application prospects of the self-powered multifunctional bracelet.

Automated summary

For outdoor workers or explorers, wearable electronic devices are crucial for continuous health monitoring and personal rescue functions. However, their limited battery capacity hinders their ability to function normally for extended periods. In this study, a self-powered multifunctional bracelet is proposed, utilizing a hybrid energy supply module and a coupled pulse monitoring sensor integrated with a watch's structure. This bracelet harvests kinetic and potential energy from the strap's movement, generating a voltage of 69V and a current of 87mA, while providing stable pulse monitoring and wireless transmission of user information. The bracelet also features rescue and illuminating lights. This design demonstrates the wide applications of a self-powered multifunctional bracelet.