We’ve all heard of solar power and wind power, but researchers at Wake Forest are developing another alternative form of power: thermoelectrics. They’ve created a fabric — comprised of tiny carbon nanotubes  that can convert body heat into an electric charge.

The device, called Power Felt, uses temperature differences to create electricity.  “We waste a lot of energy in the form of heat. For example, recapturing a car’s energy waste could help improve fuel mileage and power the radio, air conditioning or navigation system,” graduate student Corey Hewitt Hewitt says. “Generally thermoelectrics are an underdeveloped technology for harvesting energy, yet there is so much opportunity.”

How might we see Power Felt used in practical applications? The researchers say it could line car seats for a battery boost or line clothing garments to power devices that monitor performance or your iPod — among other uses.

“Imagine it in an emergency…