Martian‑Regolith Simulant Confined Nanogenerators for Wireless Tactile Sensing for Human-Machine Interface

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Space Exploration Engineering
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Sustainable energy systems for space missions are limited by Earth-dependent materials.
• In situ resource utilization (ISRU) is crucial for converting planetary resources into functional components.
• Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer a promising avenue for energy harvesting in space.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel composite material using Martian regolith simulant for enhanced triboelectric properties.
• To create a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on this composite for space applications.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of ISRU-based functional materials for tactile interfaces in space exploration.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized a Martian regolith (MR)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite film.
• Analyzed the structural and morphological properties of the MR and the composite.
• Fabricated and tested MR/PDMS composite-based TENGs, comparing their performance to pristine PDMS TENGs.
• Developed proof-of-concept applications including a tactile sensor and a wearable keypad.

Main Results:

• Martian regolith simulant exhibits oxide-rich phases enhancing dielectric properties and surface microstructure.
• The MR/PDMS composite film demonstrated enhanced triboelectric performance.
• MR/PDMS TENGs achieved approximately a two-fold increase in open-circuit voltage compared to PDMS-only TENGs.
• Successful demonstration of TENG applications: a glove-mounted tactile sensor and a wearable keypad.

Conclusions:

• Martian regolith simulant can be effectively utilized to enhance TENG performance.
• This work represents the first demonstration of triboelectric applications using MR simulants as functional materials.
• The developed MR-based TENGs and tactile interfaces offer a pathway towards ISRU-oriented solutions for future space exploration.