Assistive devices for the people with disabilities enabled by triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

Abstract According to data released by the World Health Organization, more than one billion people in the world experience some form of disability, in which they face all kinds of inconveniences. As a practical tool to help people with disabilities participate in social life, assistive devices for the people with disabilities play an important role in their daily lives. As an effective electromechanical signal conversion technology, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been successfully applied to various types of biosensors. This review aims to provide an overview of the development of assistive devices for the people with disabilities based on TENG with five categories: hearing, vision, pronunciation, gustation and limb/joint, according to the classification method of the impaired part. Meanwhile, a human–computer interaction system for the people with disabilities is also investigated. Finally, the prospect and potential challenges of this new field are discussed.