Single electrode triboelectric generator

1. A triboelectric generator, comprising:

(a) a first contact charging member having a contact side and an opposite back side, including a material that has a first rating on a triboelectric series, the first contact charging member also having a conductive aspect;

(b) a second contact charging member that has a second rating on the triboelectric series, different from the first rating, and configured to come into contact with the first contact charging member and go out of contact with the first contact charging member; and

(c) an electrical load electrically coupled to the first contact charging member and to a common voltage so that current will flow through the load after the second contact charging member comes into contact with the first contact charging member and then goes out of contact with the first contact charging member,

wherein at least one of the first contact charging member and the second contact charging member has an outer surface that comprises a film on which a plurality of nanoparticles is disposed wherein the film includes a first composition and wherein the nanoparticles include the first composition.

2. The triboelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the first contact charging member comprises a conducting material layer and wherein the second contact charging member comprises a dielectric material.

3. The triboelectric generator of claim 2 , wherein the metal comprises aluminum and the dielectric material comprises a material selected from a group consisting of: PDMS, PTFE, FEP, PVC, Polyimide and combinations thereof.

4. The triboelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the second contact charging member is configured to slide laterally with respect to the first contact charging member.

5. The triboelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the first contact charging member comprises:

(a) a conductive electrode layer coupled to the electrical load; and

(b) a first triboelectric material layer disposed on the conductive electrode layer.

6. The triboelectric generator of claim 5 , wherein the first triboelectric material layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of: PDMS, PTFE, FEP, PVC, Polyimide and combinations thereof.

7. The triboelectric generator of claim 5 , wherein the conductive electrode layer comprises ITO.

8. The triboelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the second contact charging member comprises human skin.

9. The triboelectric generator of claim 1 , wherein the first contact charging member comprises a planar dielectric core structure and a conductive layer enveloping at least a portion of the planar dielectric core structure, the load electrically coupled to the conductive layer wherein the conductive layer includes a first triboelectric material that has the first rating on the triboelectric series; and wherein the second contact charging member comprises a flexible substrate layer and a second triboelectric material layer disposed on the flexible substrate layer, the second triboelectric material layer having the second rating, the flexible substrate layer wrapped about a portion of the first contact charging member and having an at rest state in which the second triboelectric material layer is substantially not in contact with the conductive layer, the flexible substrate layer also configured to, when an external force is applied thereto, press the second triboelectric material layer to be in contact with the conductive layer and then pull the second triboelectric material layer away from the conductive layer when the external force is no longer applied thereto.

10. The triboelectric generator of claim 9 , wherein the planar dielectric core structure comprises acrylic.

11. The triboelectric generator of claim 9 , wherein the conductive layer comprises aluminum.

12. The triboelectric generator of claim 9 , wherein the flexible substrate layer comprises a polyimide film.

13. The triboelectric generator of claim 9 , wherein the second triboelectric material layer comprises a polyamide film.

14. The triboelectric generator of claim 9 , wherein the flexible substrate layer and the second triboelectric material layer have a horseshoe shape when in the at rest state.

15. A sensor system for sensing contact with a material that has a first rating on a triboelectric series, comprising:

(a) a planar substrate; and

(b) an array of triboelectric sensor units disposed on the planar substrate;

wherein each of the triboelectric sensor units includes a conductive electrode layer; and

Wherein each triboelectric sensor unit comprises:

(i) a first contact charging member having a contact side and an opposite back side, including a material that has a first rating on a triboelectric series, the first contact charging member also having a conductive aspect;

(ii) a second contact charging member that has a second rating on the triboelectric series, different from the first rating, and configured to come into contact with the first contact layer contact charging member and go out of contact with the first contact layer contact charging member; and

(iii) an electrical load electrically coupled to the first contact charging member and to a common voltage so that current will flow through the load after the second contact charging member comes into contact with the first contact charging member and then goes out of contact with the first contact charging member,

a triboelectric material layer disposed on the conductive electrode layer, the triboelectric material layer including a material that has a second rating on the triboelectric series; and a plurality of loads, each electrically coupled to the conductive electrode layer of a different one of the triboelectric sensor units and to a ground, wherein each of the plurality of loads is configured to change state when a current flows therethrough.

16. The sensor system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first contact charging member and the second contact charging member has an outer surface that comprises a nanoscale texture.

17. The sensor system of claim 15 , wherein the first triboelectric material layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of: PDMS and wherein the conductive electrode layer comprises ITO.

18. The sensor system of claim 14 , wherein the second contact charging member comprises human skin.