# University of Wollongong tests liquid-metal wave harvester in a life-jacket prototype with an SOS light

- Published: 2026-11-06 18:30 UTC
- Section: Devices › Wearable devices
- Tags: self-powered life jacket, liquid metal energy converter, gallium droplets, wave energy harvesting, SOS LED display, soft wearable sensor, Weihua Li, Science Advances, battery-free emergency signal
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-b92dd46fc526820c7a58d8fb_university_of_wollongong/

**A soft gallium-based converter turned wave-like motion into current and lit an LED SOS display in a vest prototype; 40 units gave about 2 V in lab tests.**

![University of Wollongong tests liquid-metal wave harvester in a life-jacket prototype with an SOS light](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/8bde5fddf2064d36.webp)
*scinexx.de*

A team including Professor Weihua Li of the University of Wollongong (Australia) has built a soft energy converter that powered an SOS light in a life-jacket prototype without a battery, scinexx.de reports [1]. The device generates current from motion and was demonstrated under simulated waves. It is an experimental demonstration, not a finished life jacket [1].

## How the liquid-metal converter works

The component contains two drops of gallium-containing liquid metal in an electrically conductive liquid [1]. When the device moves, the contact areas of the metal with the liquid and with the air change. This alters the electrochemical reactions at the drops and produces an electric current [1].

In tests, an array of 40 units delivered about two volts and ran small light-emitting diodes [1]. The abstract of the study also gives a power density of 140.2 microwatts per square meter [1]. The two figures describe different properties and on their own do not show how much energy larger devices could obtain [1].

## Life-jacket demonstration and sensing

The team integrated the technology into a life-jacket prototype and exposed it to simulated wave motion. The generated energy was stored and repeatedly lit an SOS display made of LEDs [1]. Such a light signal is not an automatically sent radio distress call, and the demonstration does not yet prove reliable long-term operation in the open sea [1].

The same device also responds to pressure, tilt, bending and twisting with changes in its electrical signal. In experiments it registered the pulse at the wrist and movements during walking, running and falling [1]. Several sensor elements spread over a surface could detect where pressure was applied, which points to wearable motion sensors and soft robots that sense touch [1].

According to the official release, the system delivered more power under laboratory conditions but also worked in seawater [1]. It remains open how stable the power generation is under sustained load and irregular movement. The next steps are to improve power, durability and reliability under real conditions [1]. The study was published in Science Advances (doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aej0867) [1].

## Sources

1. [scinexx.de](https://www.scinexx.de/news/technik/rettungsweste-wandelt-wellenbewegung-in-strom-fuer-ein-notsignal-um)
2. [Tech Xplore](https://techxplore.com/news/2026-11-powered-life-jackets-motion-emergency.html)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-b92dd46fc526820c7a58d8fb_university_of_wollongong/