"A day in the future": Using our body's kinetic energy to power a micro GPS

"A day in the future” is a series of posts about fictional and "mundane" conversations people will have in the future. The goal for me here is to present futurists day to day interactions from a human point of view.

But first, I want to share with you some information about today's subject

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Our world is advancing so fast that it might be difficult to see all of the implications innovations in technology and science will have in our life.

Have you ever heard of a nanogenerator (NG)?

devices that are able to harvest such body-produced biomechanical and thermal energies by exploiting piezoelectric, triboelectric, and thermoelectric physical effects. | Source

Nanogenerators can harness kinetic energy to power implanted medical devices, smartphones and other small personal electronics. |Source

Our bodies are very good at converting chemical energy from glucose into mechanical energy for our movements, and what these technology do is convert that mechanical energy into electrical energy for devices that would be implanted inside our bodies, and in the future it could also mean that our bodies could generate the necessary energy to power the electronic devices that we will have (smartwatch, smartphone, and everything at the micro level, etc.).

Since we are constantly moving our bodies even when we sleep, we created a type of energy called:

Kinetic energy:

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. An object that has motion - whether it is vertical or horizontal motion - has kinetic energy. | Source

All moving things have kinetic energy. It is energy possessed by an object due to its motion or movement. These include very large things, like planets, and very small ones, like atoms. The heavier a thing is, and the faster it moves, the more kinetic energy it has. | Source

The pattern we can see with this technology is clear

In the near future we would be able to take advantage of the energy generated in our bodies by our day to day activities. Increasing our independence when powering up our electronic devices.

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I present you here, a brief dialogue from the near future between a husband and his wife, discussing a family issue based on these subjects

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Using our body's kinetic energy to power a micro GPS

A husband and wife are discussing their plan to figure out what their daughter is going really to do that night, using technology.

Within a few years...

-Charles: Ah ha! Now we are going to know what our daughter does when she goes out and arrive at night! Finally!

-Mary: And now what did you came up with?

-Charles: honey, you will thank me for this, look at what I bought!

-Mary: What thing? I see nothing...

-Charles: This little thing next to the pin ... is an ultra-miniaturized GPS chip that can communicate over the internet in real time to let us know all kind on info about the person.

-Mary (with disbelief): Ah right, let me guess then: first, do you think in putting that on our own daughter?! And second, do you think she will agree to carry this plus carrying the battery? Stop being silly.

-Charles: No no no no no honey ... this chip receives its energy from the natural movement of the human body, when you move, walk or whatever! You do not need batteries for this! Its genius!

-Mary: Hunn juhhh, good, but, spy on our daughter? Why we would not trust on her?

-Charles: Hey, I trust her, but I do NOT trust that guy with the tattoos and piercings!

-Mary: Weeeell ... do whatever you want, but I just tell you one thing, sometimes it is better not knowing what our children do, remember all our adventures when we were young

-Charles (with mischievous smile and the "I did not do anything bad" look): hehe, okay, but now that it's my daughter, I see things differently...

-Mary: Well, again, you do what you want, but you know, if she finds out she's going to kill you...

-Charles: Do not worry my sweetheart, this is infallible and undetectable, I'm going to put this in her bra, because what I have not told you is that they tell us their body temperature in case they are ...

-Mary (with a look of amazement): What !? Damn, it's good that that was invented now, it would have been in my time and my dad kills me!

-Charles (rubbing her hands as if he were going to win the lottery): hahaha, do not worry my love, tonight we're going to give a blast following Jess to see where she is hanging out on those late hours

-Mary: Humm, we'll see ...

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A few hours later…

Charles (00:01 AM, with red eyes): Wow, I suppose she was telling us the truth! Look dear, look at the device’s website…

Mary: What's wrong?

-Charles: Well, it looks like we're going to have to believe Jessica, she said that she was going to a party in Julia’s place with her boyfriend, and look, there on the map is the dot in Julia's house and it hasn’t move from there...

-Mary: And the body temperature?

-Charles (with a funny look of amazement): look at you now all interested in the device!

-Mary (with a mischievous look): Well ... it's my daughter too ... show me ...

-Charles: Na ', there is nothing to see ... her temperature hasn’t move at all

-Mary: Damm, she really seem to be totally honest then… and we thought he was lying to us…

-Charles: I know babe, now I feel a little bit guilty doing all of this… Let’s just go back to sleep.

-Mary: all right goodnight honey

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Later on, at 2AM Jessica decides to go back home when she says to her friend:

-Jessica: Thank you Julia for putting on my bra tonight. The truth is that these know-all old people are super dumb! I owe you one!

-Julia: yeah you do! See you later!

-Jessica: Bye!

Do you think an interaction like this will be possible in the future?

If you were a parent would you use tools like this to spy on your children?

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References
cell.com
electronics.howstuffworks.com
physicsclassroom
eschooltoday
eschooltoday
healthline
britannica
softschools
trackimo

Images sources
1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6

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About our most valuable possession.

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