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Smartphones may one day be powered by what "digital" device?

Answer: your fingertips

A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology created a generator that harnesses the power created by swiping and touching a screen to power the device.

The technology makes use of the Triboelectric effect, most commonly experienced when static electricity is generated after two objects rub together. The researchers added the amount of friction generated when using the device by adding microscopic patterns to a polymer sheet that the user touches. The technology can be used for other purposes also, such as collecting energy generated by ocean waves or rain.