https://en.people.cn/n3/2026/0119/c90000-20416053.html

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science/fulltext/S2666-3864(25)00625-3

A Chinese team from Qingdao and Hong Kong has developed a self-powered eye-tracking system that harnesses energy from blinking to help paralyzed individuals control devices like wheelchairs.

The system uses a nanogenerator to capture the minute friction generated between the eyelid and the eyeball during a blink. This harvested energy powers the sensor, eliminating the need for an external battery. The system can detect subtle eye movements with high precision such as a minimum eyeball deflection angle of 2 degrees with 99 percent accuracy. The gadget also functions in total darkness, overcoming a limitation of traditional camera-based eye trackers that rely on external light sources.

The technology could be applied in conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but also in space exploration for hands-free control panels, in smart vehicles for driver fatigue monitoring, and in making virtual reality headsets more lightweight and energy-efficient.