Energy harvesting power supplies for electronic textiles

Electronic textiles (e-textiles or smart fabrics) are textiles that include smart, electronic functionality. Examples include integrated LEDs embedded within yarns [1] , printed functional materials deposited on the surface of the textile [2] and complex flexible circuits woven into the fabric [3]. The supply of power is a key challenge for wearable technologies generally and e-textiles in particular since existing solutions are typically battery powered and the rigid nature of conventional batteries is incompatible with the feel and nature textiles. Alternative power supplies using energy harvesting and wireless power transfer techniques could provide an alternative solution to supply power. Energy harvesting systems also typically require an energy reservoir to provide an energy buffer to accommodate the variations in power supplied from the harvesting solution. Combining flexible energy harvesting techniques with a textile-based energy storage reservoir offers the potential for autonomous textile power supplies suitable for use in future integrated e-textile applications.