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Self-charging buoy could harness wave power to monitor the oceans

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

By Alex Wilkins

30 June 2022

Image of the buoy that can charge itself using wave power

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, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, and his colleagues have created a self-charging buoy. The device uses…

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