In an era of increasing digital connectivity and device autonomy, the Internet of Things (IoT) represents a fundamental pillar of modern digital transformation. As the number of sensors and devices operating in environments without a stable power supply continues to grow, the demand for sustainable and autonomous energy solutions becomes critical. Efficient conversion of vibrational energy into electrical energy requires a carefully optimized mechanical design to ensure effective energy transfer to the transducers, particularly under low-frequency and small-amplitude conditions typical of real-world IoT applications. This study presents a comprehensive multiphysics investigation and energy-dynamic characterization of an elastic cantilever system integrating piezoelectric and electromagnetic transducers for vibration energy harvesting. Analytical and numerical models are developed to describe the coupled mechanical-electrical behavior of both harvesting mechanisms, supported by detailed finite element simulations performed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The dynamic response of the cantilever is analyzed for multiple mass configurations. The results demonstrate that modifying the mass distribution significantly shifts the natural frequencies and redistributes kinetic and potential energy across vibration modes, enabling optimized placement of energy transducers. The findings confirm the potential of hybrid cantilever-based harvesters to provide efficient, multifunctional, and sustainable energy solutions for self-powered IoT and smart monitoring systems.
Shishkovski et al. (Sun,) studied this question.