A new method to generate electrical energy using mechanical vibrations has been developed by scientists at the VTT Technical Research Center in Finland. The scientists used the charging phenomenon that naturally occurs between two bodies with different photoelectric effects to generate energy.
When moved, the two different bodies create an electrostatic force, and that energy was converted into electrical power by connecting the bodies to an external circuit. The scientists also discovered this conversion method could be utilized with semiconductors. The scientists suggest this new generation technology could be used to replace batteries and other energy sources where maintenance is difficult or impossible.