Power Over Skin Makes a Battery Out of You

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Sometimes we come across a research item in the popular news that seems so far off, it could not possibly be true. And then we drill down into the annals of science, and discover more than a grain of truth. We had the same experience when we discovered sending power over skin makes a battery out of a human body. Although, naturally, this has to be done correctly.

Transmitting Power Over Skin to Create a Battery

Well not a battery in the popular sense, because we are talking of storing energy in our bodies to power electronics. Don’t say we did not warn you that this would sound far-fetched, and PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF.

The process uses a wearable transmitter to send a 40 MHz signal to the user’s body. This high frequency feed transforms their body into an energy transmitter, so the radio-frequency travels through it. If you suspect that we are kidding that power over skin makes a battery, the proof is in the research report we link to below.

Overview of The Power-Over-Skin System

The system can then retrieve the energy from the body to power an electronic device. However, as our diagram illustrates, the device will require a separate receiver board to receive the stored energy from the body.

The Power-Over-Skin system, for that’s what the developers call it, enables the user’s body to work as a ‘battery’. All they need do is touch the receiver on the device, and the energy will transfer from their body.

This work is still in its early stages, but able to deliver up to 61 micro-watts from head to toe, or a maximum 1,500 micro-watts over a very short distance. However, the developers did manage to get an LED to blink in an earring, which makes for an promising start.

More Information

Thrusts in Battery Research at Argonne

Artificial Intelligence And Battery Electrolyte

Preview Image: Overview of Power-Over-Skin

Power Over Skin Research Report

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About Author

I have been writing about batteries and energy storage for more than ten years, and have published over 4,000 articles on this website. During that time, I have researched developments across lead-acid, lithium-ion, sodium-ion, flow batteries, and emerging energy-storage technologies. My goal is to explain complex battery concepts in clear, practical language that anyone can understand. My writing career began unexpectedly after leaving the corporate world. What started as a search for a new direction gradually became a fascination with batteries, renewable energy, and the science that powers modern life. Writing may not have made me wealthy, but it has given me the opportunity to explore an industry that continues to evolve in remarkable ways.

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