Researchers have developed an experimental tent that generates electricity from its own movement, potentially providing a supplemental power source for shelters, disaster zones, and off-grid camps. The system uses magnetoelastic materials to convert mechanical motion from wind, human activity, and flexing fabric into electrical energy, tells Live Science.
Magnetoelasticity describes changes in a material’s magnetic properties when it experiences mechanical stress in an external magnetic field. The researchers incorporated this principle into smart textile layers throughout the tent. Magnetoelastic ribbons are embedded in the floor, while the roof combines conductive fibers with magnetoelastic film. When these materials bend, stretch, or flex, their magnetic state changes. Electromagnetic induction then converts those changes into electricity.
Laboratory testing demonstrated the material’s ability to harvest small amounts of energy. Tapping a small textile sample by hand charged a 0.22-microfarad capacitor to 5.8 volts in 1.5 seconds. Although this output is far below what would be required to power a smartphone directly, it demonstrates the potential of the underlying energy-harvesting system.
The approach could provide an alternative or complement to portable generators, batteries, and solar panels. Unlike solar technology, the tent does not require sunlight. It can continue collecting energy at night or in shaded environments whenever wind, handling, or other movement causes the fabric to flex. Researchers envision applications ranging from LED lighting to other low-power devices.
The technology remains experimental. Researchers still need to determine its real-world power output, durability after repeated folding and exposure to weather, and manufacturing cost at scale. The prototype nevertheless demonstrates how structural materials could serve two purposes simultaneously. Instead of functioning only as shelter, future tents and other fabric structures could become distributed energy harvesters that generate useful electricity from movement already occurring around them.
