Micromechanics for energy generation

The emergence and evolution of energy micro-generators during the last 2 decades has delivered a wealth harvesting powering solutions, with capability exploiting wide range motion types, from impulse low frequency irregular human motion, to broadband vibrations ultrasonic waves. It also created background engineering microsytems, including fabrication methods, system concepts optimal functionality. This overview presents simple description main transduction mechanisms employed, namely piezoelectric, electrostatic, electromagnetic triboelectric concepts. A separate discussion mechanical structures used as translators is presented, employment proof mass, cantilever beams, role resonance, unimorph linear/rotational translators. At mechanical-to-electrical interface, impedance matching, pre-biasing synchronised switching are summarised. treatment these three components microgenerators allows selection combination different operating concepts, their co-design towards overall level optimisation, but generalisation specific approaches, new functional Industrial adoption autonomous power sources requires functionality beyond narrow environmental conditions typically required by current state-of-art. In this direction, electromechanical oscillators transfer schemes could unlock widespread use micro-generation in microsystems such micro-sensors micro-actuators.