A buoy powered by the movement of waves could be used to sense water levels for early flood warning systems or to check long-term water quality

Technology 30 June 2022

The buoy that can charge itself using wave power

Wiang et al./Chinese Academy of Sciences/Beijing

A self-charging buoy that uses nanogenerators to harness power from the movement of waves could be used to monitor water levels for early flood warning systems or long-term water quality.

Many sensing systems used in water have a problem: they rely on batteries that are often made from unsustainable materials and will need replacing at some point.

Looking for a cleaner, long-lasting alternative, Zhong Lin Wang at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, and his colleagues have created a self-charging buoy. …