New wearable thermoelectric generator converts body heat into electricity in a flat form, solving key limits of thin thermoelectric devices.
Wearable devices still depend heavily on batteries, limiting how small and seamless they can become.Researchers at Seoul National University College of Engineering now report a way to generate power directly from body heat using a thin, flexible device that works in a completely flat form.
The team, led by Prof. Jeonghun Kwak, focused on solving a core issue that has held back thermoelectric wearables.Their design changes how heat moves through the material, allowing electricity generation without adding bulk or sacrificing comfort.Their newly developed generator produces electricity from body heat while staying thin, flexible, and completely flat. The breakthrough lies not in adding bulk, but in controlling how heat moves across the material.That shift could make self-powered wearables more practical for everyday use, from health monitors to smart fabrics.Rethinking heat flow pathsThermoelectric generators rely on temperature differences to generate electricity. In bulky systems, that gap is easy to maintain. In thin wearables, it disappears.Flat devices placed on skin allow heat to pass straight through and dissipate into the air. That leaves little temperature contrast, limiting power generation.Earlier attempts tried bending devices or building 3D structures. Those solutions added thickness and reduced comfort, undermining wearable advantages.Kwak’s team approached the problem differently. Instead of changing the shape, they changed the heat flow.Dual conductivity substrate designThe researchers designed a “dual thermal conductivity substrate.” They embedded copper nanoparticles into selected regions of a stretchable silicone base.This created zones with different thermal properties in a single layer. Heat now travels sideways along high-conductivity paths rather than escaping vertically.Thermoelectric materials placed between these regions experience temperature differences across the surface. That enables power generation even in a flat, thin film.“This study addresses the limitations of conventional thin wearable thermoelectric generators through a new structural approach that controls heat flow,” said Prof. Jeonghun Kwak.“Its significance lies particularly in presenting a new thermoelectric platform capable of generating a temperature difference while maintaining a fully planar structure.”The device uses an ink-based printing method, allowing flexibility and scalable production. Manufacturers can adjust size and layout with ease.It works without bending or structural changes during use. That makes it better suited for daily wear.The team calls the system a “pseudo-transverse thermoelectric generator” because it mimics transverse heat flow behavior in a new way.“This technology has strong potential to be used as a power source for a wide range of wearable sensors and electronic devices that can be attached to the skin or clothing,” Kwak added.Co-first author Dr. Juhyung Park continues research at KU Leuven. Dr. Sun Hong Kim now teaches at the University of Seoul, focusing on soft electronic nanomaterials.The study received support from Korea’s National Research Foundation and academic programs.The study is published in the journal Science Advances.
Energy Harvesting Flexible Electronics Seoul National University Thermoelectric Generator Wearable Technology
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