Ultralow Quiescent Power-Consumption Wake-Up Technology Based on the Bionic Triboelectric Nanogenerator

Wake-up circuits in smart microsystems make huge contributions to energy conservation of electronic networks in unmanned areas, which still require higher pressure-triggering sensitivity and lower power consumption. In this work, a bionic triboelectric nanogenerator (bTENG) is developed to serve as a self-powered motion sensor in the wake-up circuit, which captures slight mechanical disturbances and overcomes the drawback of conventional self-powered motion sensors in the wake-up circuit that the circuit can only be triggered when a considerable pressure is applied on the sensor. The bTENG mimics the structure of plants and the addition of the leaf-shaped tentacle structures can increase the electrical outputs by four times, which largely extends the detection range of the wake-up circuit. The bTENG can detect both noncontact and contact mechanical disturbances; and voltages generated from both situations can trigger the wake-up system. Moreover, the specially designed circuit that is compatible with the bTENG can help more accurately control the wake-up system and prolong the battery life of the electronic networks to 12.4 times. An intrusion detection system is established in the wake-up circuit to distinguish human motion and judge the scene. This work opens new horizons for wake-up technologies, and provides new routes for persistent sensing.