Daoud Research Group
Research
Energy Harvesting and Smart Wearable Technologies Group
Our current research is mainly focused on energy harvesting and smart wearable technologies. We are developing new approaches for harvesting free or waste energy, such as light and kinetic energies. Being intermittent sources, it is equally important to find storage solutions for this form of energy. Therefore, we are also interested in the modelling and design of compatible energy storage towards system integration.
The group developed a hybrid generator by combining two energy conversion concepts, piezoelectric and triboelectric effects, after successfully unravelling the transduction mechanisms of the individual generators and the combined effects. The research featured on the cover page of Advanced Functional Materials and in the press, such as South China Morning Post (2017). The findings provide a foundation of knowledge to further enhance the conversion efficiency and energy output of hybrid generators. This promising technology has attracted the interest of a smart electronic company to apply it in its smart watches.
The group’s investigation into light harvesting self-cleaning natural fibers using the concepts of photocatalysis and nanotechnology was a first in the textile community. It was recognized internationally, with features in Nature (2004) and Science (2008), and the international press, such as Reuters (2014) and BBC (2015).
​Below is a video of Dr. Walid Daoud describing the group's research on solar self-cleaning cashmere.