Sign in to comment!



Sweat could someday power your electronics thanks to new device

Sweat could someday power your electronics thanks to new device

Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, wipes sweat from her brow during a practice session at the Rogers Cup tennis tournament in Montreal, Monday, Aug. 4, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

Someday, sweating might not just cool you down—it could also power your phone. So-called biobatteries, which can take the form of a temporary tattoo, can already generate a small amount of electricity, the Washington Post reports.

"We are working on enhancing (the product) so it can power small electronic devices," a researcher tells the BBC. The tattoos work using lactic acid that's found in our sweat.

But creating the devices wasn't researchers' original goal. Researchers were creating a new way to keep track of lactic acid, high levels of which can indicate a medical problem.

They placed a lactate sensor on temporary tattoo paper, making the tracking process easier. "I've worn it myself—you don't even feel it. It really is like a tattoo," says researcher Wenzhao Jia.

Then her team added an enzyme to the tattoo in order to extract electrons from the lactate, thus turning the device into a battery. (In other sweat-related technology, Kodak has been making anti-stink clothing.)

More From Newser