Bio-inspired structures for energy harvesting self-powered sensing and smart monitoring

In recent years, with the advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless networks, various bioinspired energy harvesters and self-powered sensors have been utilized in intelligent monitoring systems to enhance environmental adaptability, reduce energy consumption, and minimize maintenance costs. Most of these systems draw inspiration from the nonlinear characteristics found in biological structures. The primary contribution of this work lies in providing a comprehensive overview of recent bioinspired structural energy harvesters, self-powered sensors, and their potential for monitoring applications. The bioinspired structures can be inspired by plants, birds, fish, arthropods, and even humans. Based on fundamental theories and design principles, bioinspired energy harvesters are proposed and categorized from the transducer perspective, encompassing electromagnetic, piezoelectric, triboelectric, and hybrid generation mechanisms. Furthermore, mechanical perspectives are offered on bio-inspired nonlinear energy harvesting methods, encompassing multi-directional, multi-stable, and vibration isolation energy harvesting integration, along with representative designs and performance analyses for each bioinspired energy harvester. Additionally, several bioinspired sensors are introduced, which excel in sensitivity, durability, and self-powering capabilities, thereby catering to diverse sensing needs across various environments and application scenarios. Smart monitoring relies heavily on efficient energy harvesters and highly reliable self-powered sensors, playing a pivotal role in diverse fields related to human production practices. The review concludes by summarizing resolved issues, outlining future challenges, and offering prospects for the future. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of bioinspired energy harvesting, self-powered sensing, and intelligent monitoring, thereby guiding the application of novel bioinspired structures in the realm of intelligent monitoring. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd