FORTH/ICE-HT took part in European Researchers’ Night 2026 on 25 September at the Conference Cultural Centre of the University of Patras, hosted at the booth of the Department of Chemistry. Within the framework of GRAPHERGIA, visitors could discover the exhibit ”Electricity from Human Body Motion: Smart Textiles and Flexible Electronics”.
Ms Natalia Kantouni and Ms Vassiliki Georgopoulou, members of Prof. Spyros Yannopoulo’s team at FORTH/ICE-HT and the Department of Chemistry (University of Patras), presented a textile triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) demonstrator developed within GRAPHERGIA. The live demonstration showcased how everyday mechanical motion can be converted into electrical energy through smart textile technologies, bringing GRAPHERGIA’s research on energy-autonomous wearables, flexible electronics and sustainable energy harvesting closer to students and the wider public.
From left to right: Ms Vassiliki Georgopoulou and Ms Natalia Kantouni (FORTH/ICE-HT)
The exhibit presented, among others:
- Smart textiles and e-textiles for energy harvesting, storage, and sensing.
- Wearable and flexible electronics for self-powered and well-being applications.
- Graphene/Si-based lithium-ion battery anodes produced through simplified laser processing
- IoT sensors, structural health monitoring and other multifunctional flexible systems.
The event was a great opportunity to communicate how advanced materials can enable the next generation of interactive and self-powered textiles. GRAPHERGIA’s Project Coordinator is Prof. Spyros Yannopoulos (Collaborating Faculty Member, FORTH/ICE-HT & Department of Chemistry, University of Patras).
FORTH/ICE-HT took the featured images for this article at the event.