Researchers in Zurich are in the process of developing a new type of sensor that could save millions of batteries.
The "passive sound-sensitive sensors" react to certain types of sound waves, which cause them to vibrate, according to a report published in ScienceDaily. The researchers say that they could be used to monitor buildings, earthquakes, or certain medical devices — all of which require sensors that supply a constant power source.
That power currently comes from batteries, which are usually replaced and thrown away once they are used up, creating a lot of waste.
"The sensor works purely mechanically and doesn't require an external energy source. It simply utilizes the vibrational energy contained in sound waves," Johan Robertsson, one of the scientists behind the research, said, per ScienceDaily.
According to one EU study, summarized by The Independent, 78 million batteries will be thrown away every day by 2025. Single-use alkaline batteries (the kind you often buy at the store) are made with non-renewable materials such as manganese, steel, and zinc — and very few end up being recycled. Most just sit in landfills after they are thrown away.
Lithium-ion batteries (the kind in electric vehicles) are more sustainable, as they can be recharged, but still come with a host of environmental drawbacks, including the mining for the valuable metals that are required for their production.
The sensor developed by the scientists at the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich needs no batteries because it reacts to certain sound waves such as a certain word, tone, or noise — and, incredibly, it can even distinguish between words, essentially meaning that it might in the future be built to respond to voice commands, reported The Independent.
Crucially, it is not made with any of the problematic metals that batteries and normal sensors require.
"Our sensor consists purely of silicone and contains neither toxic heavy metals nor any rare earths, as conventional electronic sensors do," Marc Serra-Garcia, the other scientist leading the research, said, per ScienceDaily.
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