'Smart Textile' Turns Body Movements Into Power Source

A fabric designed to power wearable devices by harvesting energy from both sunlight and body movements can be produced on a standard industrial weaving machine, according to a new study. Scientists in China and the United States have demonstrated how a glove-size piece of the "smart textile" could continuously power an electronic watch or charge a mobile phone using ambient sunlight and gentle body movements. The fabric is based on low-cost, lightweight polymer fibers coated with metals and semi