A method for monitoring transportation of a package, as well as the apparatus for monitoring transportation, that uses an environmental monitoring device electrically connected to a vibration-to-electricity converter. The vibration-to-electricity converter is electrically attached to the environmental monitoring device.

Modern living involves using a significant amount of energy, much of which may be wasted or not used efficiently. This apparatus and methodology focuses on potentially wasted energy that is being produced by ambient vibration. Bi-modal broad band energy and/or specific frequency harvester/scavengers utilize the physics of local resonance in acousto-elastic metamaterials (AEMM structures). Frequency selectivity of a harvester depends on the mass of a core resonator, soft material that houses the central mass/resonator, and the base material which is used to manufacture the metamaterial. Piezoelectric materials are known to produce electrical current when they are deformed mechanically. Ambient energy is available in the form of vibration and noise, e.g. car vibration, acoustic noise from heavy machineries, vibration from rails, which is lost, if not otherwise harvested. A smart metamaterial can scavenge/harvest ambient low frequency vibration for charging batteries such that the ambient energy may become a renewable source of energy to power low power electronic gadgets on the go. Power output for a unit cell AEMM embodiment is optimized through one or more of multi-frequency/multi-modal harvesting, geometric optimization, and PZT position optimization.

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed toward a linear generator, comprising: a cylinder having a cylinder wall and a pair of ends, the cylinder including a reaction section disposed in a center portion of the cylinder; a pair of opposed piston assemblies adapted to move linearly within the cylinder, each piston assembly disposed on one side of the reaction section opposite the other piston assembly, each piston assembly including a spring rod and a piston comprising a solid front section adjacent the reaction section and a gas section; and a pair of linear electromagnetic machines adapted to directly convert kinetic energy of the piston assembly into electrical energy, and adapted to directly convert electrical energy into kinetic energy of the piston assembly for providing compression work during the compression stroke.

A swivel (100) for a mooring line comprises a first element (110) with a first line coupler (111) and a second element (112) with a second line coupler (113). The first element (110) and the second element (112) are rotatable relative to each other. An electric power generator (120) converts a relative rotation between the first element (110) and the second element (112) into electric power. In use, the line couplers (111, 113) are attached to separate segments of the mooring line. A pull F applied to or relieved from the mooring line causes the relative rotation. The swivel preferably contains a battery and a control unit, and may supply power to one or more sensors (130) built into or external to the swivel (100). A system for monitoring a mooring arrangement is also disclosed.

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed toward a linear combustion engine, comprising: a cylinder having a cylinder wall and a pair of ends, the cylinder including a combustion section disposed in a center portion of the cylinder; a pair of opposed piston assemblies adapted to move linearly within the cylinder, each piston assembly disposed on one side of the combustion section opposite the other piston assembly, each piston assembly including a spring rod and a piston comprising a solid front section adjacent the combustion section and a gas section; and a pair of linear electromagnetic machines adapted to directly convert kinetic energy of the piston assembly into electrical energy, and adapted to directly convert electrical energy into kinetic energy of the piston assembly for providing compression work during the compression stroke.

A vibration motor, including a shell, a vibrator and a stator accommodated in the shell, and an elastic member suspending the vibrator in the shell, one of the vibrator and the stator includes a magnetic circuit unit while the other one includes a coil. the elastic member is a sheet-like spring, and a plane where the elastic member is located is perpendicular to a vibrating direction of the vibrator, the elastic member is of a U-shape, and includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion respectively which are fixed to the vibrator and spaced from each other, a third fixing portion located between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion and fixed to the shell, a first deforming portion connecting the third fixing portion with the first fixing portion, and a second deforming portion connecting the third fixing portion with the second fixing portion.

An induction generator (200; 301) having a magnet assembly (204; 304) for generating a permanent magnetic field, an annular coil (206; 306), a spring element (228; 328) and an air channel (212; 312) through which the permanent magnetic field passes, is proposed, wherein the magnet assembly (204; 304) comprises a first pole section (208; 308) and a second pole section (210; 310) and a magnet (214; 314) disposed between the first pole section (208; 308) and the second pole section (210; 310), the coil (206; 306) is connected to the spring element (228; 328) and is movably disposed in the air channel (212; 312) and the spring element (228; 328) is designed to cause an oscillation movement (224) of the coil (206; 306) in the air channel (212; 312) transverse to a magnetic flux (222; 322) of the permanent magnetic field inside the air channel (212; 312) in response to a deflection of the coil (206; 306), characterized in that the air channel (212; 312) is annular and is designed to accommodate the annular coil (206; 306) in its entire circumference.

The invention discloses a detection and therapeutic device and remote monitoring shoes. The detection and therapeutic device comprises a power supply module (a) which is connected with modules with electricity needs and used for powering the modules, a main processor module (b) which is used for collecting and processing signals from sensors and controlling working status of an automatic injection module (d), a detection sensor module (c) which comprises a plurality of sensors in connection with the main processor module (b) and is used for examining nerves, organs or secretions and sending back the results to the main processor module (b), an automatic injection module (d) which comprises a plurality of automatic injectors in connection with the main processor module (b) and is used for administrating according to signals for controlling from the main processor module automatically.

A wireless sensor device includes: an energy harvester configured to convert vibration generated from a broadband vibration source into electricity, an elastic member arranged to receive the vibration and a communication unit fixed by the elastic member, supplied with the converted electricity from the energy harvester, and configured to transmit sensing information obtained by sensing a measurement target. The elastic member operates as a mechanical filter configured to limit a frequency range and an acceleration magnitude of the vibration to be transferred to the communication unit for stabilizing the performance of the communication unit, and the communication unit is arranged to receive vibration passing through the elastic member.

Wave energy converter systems include a housing comprising a field coil array and a permanent magnet array within the housing configured to induce an electrical current in the field coil array. One or more peripheral magnet arrays are arranged around the housing and couple magnetically with the permanent magnet array. The peripheral magnet arrays cause the permanent magnet array to move within the housing in response to motion of the one or more peripheral magnet arrays and provide a magnetic shielding effect.