Mechanically Co-Optimized Piezoelectric–Electromagnetic–Triboelectric Hybrid Insole Energy Harvester for Self-Powered Wearable Electronics

Incorporating energy generated from regular human movement into wearable electronics offers a promising alternative to conventional batteries, enabling devices to power themselves by harvesting energy from motion and the surrounding environment. Ambient energy harvesting provides a pathway toward limitless, self-sustaining power and supports the development of cleaner, smarter wearable systems. Among various approaches, integrating hybrid mechanisms into footwear represents a transformative solution for sustainable power generation. In this work, a piezoelectric generator (PEG), an electromagnetic generator (EMG), and a triboelectric generator (TEG) were hybridized within a single architecture to harvest biomechanical energy from walking, jogging, and running. The device incorporates pressure-sensitive Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) sheets, a spiral spring with dual neodymium (NdFeB) magnets with wound copper coils, and a nickel foam with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) for triboelectricity operating in contact–separation mode. A dedicated energy-management circuit comprising independent rectification, DC bus energy aggregation, supercapacitor storage, and voltage regulation was implemented to efficiently utilize the harvested energy. The system was optimized through simulation using SOLIDWORKS 2023 and validated experimentally by using LabVIEW-NI myRIO FPGA system and treadmill. The proposed hybrid device achieved an exceptional peak output power of 58 mW and a voltage of 7.4 V, enough to charge low-power wearable devices, significantly surpassing the performance of most reported standalone and hybrid insole energy harvesters. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of multimodal integration in broadening operational bandwidth, increasing energy density, and enhancing compatibility with wearable applications. Piezoelectric, Electromagnetic and Triboelectric Insole Energy Harvesting (PET-IEH) establishes a new benchmark in biomechanical energy harvesting and paves the way for next-generation self-powered and sustainable wearable electronics.