Omnidirectional water wave-driven triboelectric net-zero power smart ocean network: An advanced hardware solution to long-distance target detection

Collecting ocean energy to build a zero-power smart ocean network that integrates energy harvesting and application is of great significance for achieving the strategy of marine power. This demands a hardware solution with simple structure, high energy efficiency, and high resolving ability. Herein, we proposed a simple fully symmetric triboelectric nanogenerator (FS-TENG) for efficient collection of omnidirectional wave energy without dead spot, based on the 360 degrees of freedom of inertial ball and the simplified double-layer electrode structure responding to arbitrary triggers. Employing the Maxwell’s displacement current generated by FS-TENG, power-free underwater wireless detection was achieved to sense the long-distance (220 m) target in water, which set a new record for triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based contactless sensing. The detection strategy is an effective method for marine data acquisition to realize intelligent ocean management demonstrating applications such as noninvasive inspection of pipeline difficult to reach for in-pipe robot, navigation and berthing for ship in need according its dimension, and sensing water level changes without moving part. The work builds a net-zero power smart ocean network based on TENG, providing new ideas for sustainable ocean development.