ENERGY HARVESTING TAG
Fish-mounted Energy Harvesting Tag
A fish-mounted sensing tag that harvests auxiliary power from swimming and water flow
This research uses swimming and ambient water flow to drive a small turbine and provide auxiliary charging for batteries used in sensor measurement and data logging.
ENERGY HARVESTING TAG
ENERGY HARVESTING
Turn swimming and water flow into power for sensing.
CHALLENGE
The problem
Fish-mounted sensing tags involve trade-offs among battery capacity, measurement duration, added drag, and biological impact. The challenge is to make the complete system viable—including waterproofing, antifouling, energy storage, and communication—without unnecessarily interfering with the animal’s behavior.
APPROACH
Current approach
The concept uses the relative flow created by swimming and ambient water movement to drive a small turbine. Generated energy is stored and used to support sensor measurement and data logging. Fluid dynamics, attachment mechanics, generation and storage circuitry, waterproofing, antifouling, and communication are designed together to evaluate the balance among power output, added drag, and biological impact.
SYSTEM DIAGRAM
ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEM
Harvest auxiliary power from relative water flow
The turbine is only one part of a system that must balance power, drag, biological impact, storage, and communication.
RELATIVE FLOW
Swimming + ambient flow
Flow around the mounted tag
GENERATE
Small turbine
Convert flow into electrical power
CONDITION / STORE
Power circuit + storage
Stabilize intermittent generation
USE
Sense / log / communicate
Provide auxiliary battery charging
RESEARCH THEMES
Current research themes
- Water-flow energy harvesting
- Added drag and biological impact
- Waterproofing, antifouling, storage, and communication
RESEARCH FLOW
Research and validation flow
- 01
Relative flow
Capture flow around the tag created by swimming and ambient water movement.
- 02
Generate
Convert the flow into electricity with a small turbine.
- 03
Store
Store the generated energy to support sensor measurement and data logging.
- 04
Validate
Evaluate power output, added drag, biological impact, waterproofing, antifouling, and communication as one system.
CURRENT STAGE
Current research stage
Current work is defining the relationship between power output and added drag, along with attachment, waterproofing, antifouling, energy storage, communication, and the overall power budget, in preparation for foundational prototypes.
About this information
This page presents proprietary invilab research only within the scope that invilab has determined can be disclosed. Public information reviewed: August 10, 2026.
The project is under research and development. Publication does not guarantee future commercial availability or implementation of every described capability.