Triboelectric Wind Sensors: Fundamentals, Progress, and Perspectives

Wind sensors find extensive applications in meteorology, aerospace, architecture and urban planning, energy industry, and also in agricultural crop management. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology, as an advanced energy conversion method, has rapidly gained attention in wind sensing applications, promising to bring significant transformation to this field. The existing reviews on wind TENG primarily focus on the collection and utilization of wind energy, without delving into wind sensing capabilities. This paper provides a comprehensive review of Triboelectric wind sensors (TWS). Based on wind speed ranges, TWS are categorized into general wind speeds, low wind speeds, and larger/high wind speed ranges, exploring the structural types and characteristics suitable for different scenarios. Additionally, for specific scenarios requiring simultaneous monitoring of wind speed and direction, or in low wind conditions, TENG is often combined with other technologies to enhance performance. The paper further explores practical application cases of TWS and investigates their potential applications in other related fields. Finally, the future development trends of TWS are predicted and the current challenges and issues are identified.