Triboelectric nanogenerator as a highly sensitive self-powered sensor for driver behavior monitoring

Abstract Driver behavior is important for traffic safety and status monitoring. Major parameters in driving behavioral analysis are generally acquired by utilizing some mirror or sensitive but expensive sensors, such as eye tracker, electroencephalograph, etc. Here, we report for the first time a pressure-sensitive, flexible and robust triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) consisting of Al foil and Kapton materials as a cost-effective sensing device for self-powered driver behavior monitoring. The sensitivity of TENG was evaluated preliminarily by detecting its open-circuit voltage signal in responding to externally enforced perturbation. A real-time monitoring system is demonstrated with TENGs, data-collecting unit and a driving simulator. A preliminary assessment of the real-time collected data demonstrates that the self-powered sensor is feasible for monitoring a driver's behavior. This work provides a promising strategy for monitoring driver's behavior and will extend TENG-based sensors for practical applications in vehicles as well as aeronautical and space technologies.