Flexible teg on the ankle for measuring the power generated while performing activities of daily living

In this work, a commercial flexible thermoelectric generator (f-TEG) was used to harvest the body thermal energy during the execution of activities of daily living (ADL). The f-TEG was placed at the level of the ankle, and the performed activities were sitting at the desk and walking. In the first stage of measurements, tests were performed to choose the value of the resistor load that maximizes the power output. Then, while performing ADL, the values of generated power were in the range from 100 to 450 µW. Moreover, while users are walking, the pattern of the output signal of f-TEG is compatible to a sine function with frequency close to that one of human gait. This preliminary result may represent a new way to study the movement of human body to recognize ADL.