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Nature Physics 4, 166 (1 March 2008) | doi:10.1038/nphys906

Energy harvesting: Rubbed the right way

Ed Gerstner

Anyone who has received an electric shock from a colleague after walking across a synthetic carpet knows that even the most mundane of activities can generate energy. But is there any way that this energy can be harnessed? Yong Qin and colleagues suggest it could (Nature 451, 809–813; 2008), using fabrics made of specially coated fibres that produce electricity through the piezoelectric effect.