Transparent and flexible barcode based on sliding electrification for self-powered identification systems

We present a newly designed self-powered identification system based on sliding electrification by combination of a barcode fabricated by gratings with intervals of different widths between each other and a reader consists of a layer of FEP film and a strip electrode. Introducing a reference interval and a baseline, an encoding method was established by calculating the ratio of time spent for sliding across the strip electrode and the one for the reference interval. Sliding across a reader at a constant speed rate from 10 mm/s to 100 mm/s, even swiping a card by human hands, coded information by gratings with intervals of different widths was successfully identified. This work demonstrates the practicability of a self-powered, triboelectric-based identification system, and indicates its potential applications in laboratories, libraries, and industry. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.