Recent Advancements in Thermoelectric Generators for Smart Textile Application

Electro-textiles are the future of wearable technology and have the potential to revolutionise numerous in-dustries. However, electro-textiles require a power source to sense, analyse, react, and adapt to various stimuli. While current power sources feature dry cell batteries, the research into alternative power sources, such as self -powered textiles, is growing due to the use of nanotechnology. These new textiles harness their own electrical energy to power sensors and other electronic devices. One system being investigated is thermoelectric generation because it uses human body waste heat to create electrical energy. Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs) can passively harvest energy and have the capacity to offer continuous electrical energy. Optimisation of its design parameters, fabrication methods, and materials used are necessary for this system to be commercially viable. This manuscript analyses recent advancements in textile-based TEGs, their application towards various industries, and the future of self-powered electro-textiles.