CORVALLIS, OR— The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate recently awarded Perpetua Power Source Technologies, Inc. (Perpetua) a Phase II SBIR contract to develop wearable energy harvesting solutions that can be incorporated into textiles, harnesses, helmets and other first responder gear for powering wireless sensor systems.

The project will make use of Perpetua’s innovative Flexible Thermoelectric Film™ technology, which converts body heat into electrical energy. The energy is then stored and delivered for powering a variety of body-worn wireless electronics.

“This award punctuates the need for an always available power source that Perpetua can provide,” said Nicholas Fowler, Perpetua’s CEO. “DHS personnel are focused on tasks at-hand, typically involving emergency situations, and changing batteries should be one of the last items on their minds. The development of wearable energy harvesting systems represents a major advance to alleviate battery maintenance.”

Market applications include safety diagnostic systems for emergency first responders, situational awareness for incident commanders, along with related consumer and military applications.

About Perpetua Power Source Technologies, Inc.: Perpetua (www.perpetuapower.com) is dedicated to offering high quality, cost-effective, and easy-to-use power source products that last as long as the electronics they power. By extending the life of batteries and in some cases replacing batteries altogether, Perpetua’s products enable wireless sensor users to collect more data over time and offer more opportunities to operate autonomously in diverse environments.