CO-TENG: An origami-inspired self-powering sensor for smart wearables

Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, has evolved from a primarily ceremonial and decorative practice to an important tool in science and technology. With its applications ranging from solar panels in space to self-assembling robots, origami has revolutionized the design of modern engineering solutions.

One such notable solution is a corrugated origami triboelectric nanogenerator (CO-TENG), a smart, flexible energy-harvesting sensor that combines the triboelectric effect with self-folding technology for generating power. Triboelectric generation is the process of producing electricity by converting mechanical motion—such as contact and separation between materials—into electrical energy.

Recently, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Hiroki Shigemune from Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, along with Mr. Haruki Higoshi and Mr. Daichi Naritomi from Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, developed a CO-TENG soft sensor to eliminate the need for batteries. In this study, the team laminated copper electrodes (conductive layer) and a polytetrafluoroethylene sheet (triboelectric layer) onto paper. The self-folding solution was then printed in lines on the substrate using an inkjet printer. By assembling the paper into a 3D structure, the researchers achieved a lightweight, low-cost, environmentally friendly, and self-powered sensor. This study was published online in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies on April 1, 2025.

"We were inspired by the structural elegance of origami and the rising need for sustainable, maintenance-free sensor solutions. So, we combined origami with the triboelectric effect to unlock a smart system that can build and power itself,” says Dr. Shigemune.

The device operates by converting mechanical stress into electrical signals through friction between laminated conductive and dielectric materials. Since the sensor also utilizes self-folding paper technology, it does not need manual folding and minimizes the fabrication effort—offering a powerful tool for next-generation smart devices.

Once developed, the mechanical properties of the self-folding paper-based structures were thoroughly studied, analyzing how the printed line width and paper thickness affected fold angles and restoring force. They first tested the parameters for a single fold and then scaled it up to a multi-fold corrugated structure to enhance output performance. Notably, serial connection of multiple origami folds led to a significant enhancement in power output with excellent durability over 1,000 compression cycles.

Furthermore, the researchers demonstrated its real-world application in a smart cushioning system. Whenever an object was dropped onto the CO-TENG, it generated electrical signals corresponding to the compression force exerted by the object. These signals were analyzed using machine learning (LightGBM), and this enabled the system to identify the objects. The system could identify the objects with a remarkable 98.9% accuracy—highlighting its potential applications in logistics and smart packaging.

“Smart cushioning could be a game-changer in logistics. By using the CO-TENG system, dropped objects can be automatically identified and monitored in real-time, offering new capabilities in shipment tracking and product integrity verification,” explains Mr. Higoshi.

Apart from logistics, the developed nanogenerator also finds applications in the medical device and electronics industry. The high flexibility of the CO-TENG can be advantageous for wearable devices for monitoring body motion, posture, or external impacts in real-time—especially for elderly care. Its compact design makes it ideal for soft, mobile, and on-demand devices with promising applications in IoT-based personalized health monitoring platforms. Apart from its properties, the foldable nature of CO-TENG also reduces storage and transportation costs, which are essential for industrial applications and scalability.

In conclusion, the study represents an inspiring combination of materials science, mechanical design, and electronics for the development of smart sensors—paving the future of sustainable technologies.

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Reference

DOI: 10.1002/admt.202500032

About Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), Japan
Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) is a private university with campuses in Tokyo and Saitama. Since the establishment of its predecessor, Tokyo Higher School of Industry and Commerce, in 1927, it has maintained “learning through practice” as its philosophy in the education of engineers. SIT was the only private science and engineering university selected for the Top Global University Project sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and had received support from the ministry for 10 years starting from the 2014 academic year. Its motto, “Nurturing engineers who learn from society and contribute to society,” reflects its mission of fostering scientists and engineers who can contribute to the sustainable growth of the world by exposing their over 9,500 students to culturally diverse environments, where they learn to cope, collaborate, and relate with fellow students from around the world.

Website: https://www.shibaura-it.ac.jp/en/

About Associate Professor Hiroki Shigemune from SIT, Japan
Dr. Hiroki Shigemune is an Associate Professor at the College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, and leads the Active Functional Devices Laboratory. He earned his Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Waseda University, Japan, in 2018 and has over 85 peer-reviewed publications to date. His research mainly focuses on soft robotics, paper-based mechatronics, and smart materials. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Best Master Thesis Award from Waseda University in 2016 and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Japan Chapter Young Award in 2014 for his significant contributions in the field of engineering.

Funding Information
This research was partially supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP22K14226, Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-driven R&D (A-STEP) from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Grant Numbers JPMJTM20CK, Fuji Seal Foundation, and International Research Center for Green Electronics.