Northwestern University engineers develop energy-harvesting smart glasses

Engineers at Northwestern University have developed a new type of smart glasses, known as GlassTENG, that harvest mechanical energy from facial movements to power health sensors. The battery-free device converts energy from actions such as blinking, smiling, jaw clenching, and eyebrow raising into electrical power.

In testing, the highly sensitive sensors successfully distinguished these movements from everyday activities like eating or talking. The technology recognized teeth tapping with 99% accuracy and jaw clenching with 96% accuracy. This advancement could allow for the seamless monitoring of cardiovascular health, fatigue, eating behaviors, and bruxism without the need for bulky batteries or frequent charging.