Triboelectric Nanogenerators in Military: Recent Progress and Critical Challenges
Changcheng Bao1,2, Xiaoxia Ma3,4, Min He1
1School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
Nano-Micro Letters
|June 3, 2026
Summary
Triboelectric nanogenerators offer a solution for military energy and sensing challenges in modern warfare. This review analyzes their potential, from soldier platforms to aerospace, addressing battlefield limitations for practical deployment.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Defense Technology
Background:
- Modern warfare demands robust energy and sensing for distributed, intelligent, and stealthy operations.
- Traditional power sources are inadequate for long-range, extreme-environment military applications.
- Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer a promising solution for self-sustaining military microsystems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review TENG advancements for military applications across various platforms.
- To adopt a defense engineering perspective, analyzing failure modes under battlefield conditions.
- To identify and address engineering bottlenecks hindering military adoption of TENGs.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive framework evaluating TENG technological advances.
- Integrated failure mode analysis under battlefield stressors.
- Critical analysis of engineering bottlenecks (impedance mismatch, manufacturing).
Main Results:
- TENGs show potential for high-efficiency, zero-power sensing in military contexts.
- Battlefield stressors significantly impact TENG device degradation.
- Key bottlenecks include impedance mismatch and scalable manufacturing challenges.
Conclusions:
- Targeted mitigation strategies are proposed for identified engineering bottlenecks.
- A validation framework aligned with military testing protocols is presented.
- An actionable roadmap is outlined to accelerate TENG deployment in intelligent military technologies.
