Self-Powered Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Multi-Network Conductive Hydrogel for Kinetic Chain Monitoring in Badminton

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been widely explored for wearable motion monitoring, yet existing designs are mainly confined to single-site sensing, limiting their ability to capture coordinated multijoint movements. Here, a multinetwork conductive hydrogel with both robustness and conductivity was developed and further utilized to construct a TENG sensor, which demonstrated outstanding durability by maintaining stable output voltage over 3000 operating cycles with 6.8% signal decay after 15 days of storage (25 ± 2 °C), as well as rapid response and recovery times of 34 and 15 ms. To capture motion signals, TENG sensors were strategically deployed at the plantar, knee, shoulder, and wrist. Building upon this sensing platform, two integrated systems were established through the integration of a data processing hardware module and a personal computer (PC) software module: a real-time kinetic chain signal monitoring system (RKCSMS) and a wireless intelligent sports evaluation system (WISES). The two systems enabled accurate movement recognition, systematic assessment of kinetic chain patterns, and real-time feedback. This study demonstrated the strong potential of TENGs based on conductive hydrogels for applications in flexible smart wearables, rehabilitation assessment, sports training, and health management.