A textile made of nano fibers has been created by US researchers. This fiber harvests energy from movement. This development could lead to clothing which could power wearable electronic devices including the iPod. The principle on which the research is based is that of a self winding watch. “Wasted” energy from sound waves, human heart beats and vibrations could be scavenged by tiny nano-generators.

This research was conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology by a group of scientists led by Zhong Lin Wang. The fibers are covered with pairs of zinc oxide nanowires. These produce tiny electric pulses from friction.

The mechanical motion is converted to electrical energy. The way the fibers scrub is compared to two bottle brushes with touching bristles. A higher output could be produced by many of the devices put together. The piezoelectric effect is the name given to the way energy is generated from friction.

In addition to clothes, these fibers can be used on curtains, tents etc. The wind motion, sound vibrations can then be used to capture and generate energy. The human body’s sources of energy are the pumping of the heart, lung exhalation, walking and computer typing - these could be used for nano scale energy.