Highly Adaptive Liquid–Solid Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Assisted Self-Powered Water Wave Motion Sensor

Renewable energy has huge potential, and portable electronic devices with self-powered sensing are an inevitable choice in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT). Here, we report a water wave motion sensor rooted in water wave friction, which is a combination of a liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerator (LS-TENG) and a contact–separation TENG to form an integrated working mode. Combining these two mechanisms for sensing and collecting water wave energy, which specifically are the outermost interface friction with water waves and embedded classic TENG contained, this sensor can indicate the enhancement of water waves under gentle frequency in living environments. Under various water levels and frequencies from low to high, the voltage and current signals were systematically investigated and comparatively analyzed. They can reach about 60 V and 20 μA, respectively, under a certain degree of a surging wave, which proves the indication ability of the device to specific water conditions, and waveform changes under extremely small water level changes were clearly observable. It is believed that, in the future, there will be dazzling performances in the areas of environmental monitoring and maritime security and navigation, which are very meaningful for people’s livelihood.