Chinese scientists have developed a smart sleep control pillow. Its peculiarity is that the electronics in it are powered by the movements of the human head.
The idea of a smart self-powered pillow came from earlier work by scientists on sleep monitoring systems that track movement and collect energy during the night using triboelectric nanogenerators.
The pillow consists of a set of flexible porous polymeric triboelectric layers that generate electric current during head movement.
Testing has shown that the pillow can monitor the pressure distribution of the human head as it changes position. The system was sensitive enough to track the movement of the finger that erases the letters on the surface of the pillow.
Scientists say it can also be used to monitor patients with neck disease.