Inviza Corporation

Marcus Taylor

Todd Richard Christenson

Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures that scavenge mechanical energy to provide electrical energy to a wearable, where the mechanical energy is scavenged by a bending-strain-based transducer that includes a non-resonant energy harvester. By employing a non-resonant energy harvester that operates in bending mode, more electrical energy can be generated that possible with prior-art energy harvesters. In some embodiments the bending-strain-based transducer also includes a sensor and/or a haptic device. Some transducers in accordance with the present disclosure comprise a piezoelectric layer comprising a low-K piezoelectric material, such as aluminum nitride, which enables generation of higher voltage and power/energy output and/or a thinner transducer. As a result, transducers in accordance with the present disclosure can be included in wearables for which large transducer thickness would be problematic, such as sole members (e.g., shoe insoles, midsoles or outsoles), garments, bras, handbags, backpacks, and the like.

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Austin (Cedar Park), TX, United States of America

Marcus Taylor