Self-powered gesture recognition using a sustainable and thermally stable cherry blossom triboelectric nanogenerator

Portable and wearable electronics increasingly require sustainable, miniaturized, and self-powered energy sources. However, most high-performance TENGs use non-recyclable polymers, underscoring the need for greener alternatives. Here, we introduce a triboelectric nanogenerator that utilizes naturally derived cherry blossom (CB) petals as a bio-waste dielectric layer, providing a renewable and thermally stable alternative to synthetic materials. The interfacial charge-transfer mechanism was examined using density functional theory (DFT), and the triboelectric polarity of CB was verified through Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). This developed CB-TENG achieved an output voltage of 613 V, a short-circuit current of 19.3 µA, and a maximum power density of 173.3 µW/cm². The device exhibited remarkable mechanical stability, maintaining consistent performance over 22,500 operation cycles, and sustained operation under −4 ºC to 100 ºC temperatures. Furthermore, the CB-TENG successfully powered 180 LEDs and a self-powered touch pad capable of functioning in high-temperature environments. Distinct voltage signatures from single- and double-tap gestures were classified using a Random Forest classifier, achieving 94.74 % accuracy. These results underscore the potential of the CB-TENG which utilizes a bio-derived active layer as a high-output energy harvester and a scalable platform for sustainable, self-powered human–machine interfaces.