The future of energy-harvesting tech
Imagine if turning a doorknob could power your alarm system or opening your refrigerator could light up your kitchen.
These ideas are becoming possible thanks to research that explores how everyday actions can generate and harvest energy.
Dr. Jeeeun Kim, a professor at Texas A&M University, is leading this innovative project with the support of the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award.
Her work focuses on turning passive interfaces, like doorknobs and light switches, into adaptive tools that can capture and repurpose energy.
From passive to adaptive
Passive interfaces, like a regular light switch, are designed for one purpose only—turning lights on and off. But Dr. Kim’s research is reimagining these interfaces to do much more.
By adding “smart capabilities,” such as sensing and energy-harvesting technologies, her team is creating adaptive devices.
For example, a simple attachment to a window or fridge door could collect the energy created when you slide or open them. This energy could then power devices like alarms or digital displays.
These adaptive interfaces aim to assist people with disabilities, automate household tasks, and even power devices like computers. By redesigning common objects, this technology could make homes smarter, more energy-efficient, and user-friendly.
3D-printed add-ons
One of the key innovations in Dr. Kim’s work is using 3D-printed add-ons, or augmentations, to make these changes possible. These augmentations are cost-effective and easy to implement.
For instance, a small attachment on a refrigerator door hinge could convert the energy from opening the fridge into power for a digital inventory display. Similarly, turning a doorknob could generate enough energy to activate an intruder alarm.
This method builds on cutting-edge techniques for capturing interaction properties—how people use objects—and fabricating augmentations that are efficient and reliable. The goal is to provide affordable solutions that anyone can use to upgrade their home.
Dr. Kim’s project also emphasizes increasing awareness of energy usage and accessibility challenges in everyday life. Many people don’t realize how much energy goes to waste or how common objects in their homes could be redesigned for better use.
To address this, she has developed a software system that uses smartphones to scan home environments.
By pointing a phone camera at objects, users can identify accessibility barriers or areas where energy is being wasted. The app overlays this information in real-time using augmented reality (AR), helping users visualize potential improvements.
Toward smarter, sustainable homes
Dr. Kim believes this research can drive positive changes in how we live. “My toolkit can help residents of multi-residential buildings identify how much energy is being wasted and how they can make changes to create smarter, greener homes,” she explains.
Importantly, her approach avoids the environmental impact of replacing traditional devices with electronic ones, which could create significant e-waste. Instead, these augmentations repurpose existing objects in a cost-effective and eco-friendly way.
By combining fields like digital fabrication, AI, robotics, and design, Dr. Kim’s work lays the foundation for a future where people can create their own smart, energy-efficient devices.
Her vision goes beyond individual homes, inspiring broader innovation in assistive technologies, smart buildings, and sustainable living.
