Scientists Turn Wallpaper Into a Power Source That Runs on Indoor Humidity
Binghamton University engineers built wallpaper embedded with moisture-electric generators that convert everyday indoor humidity into usable electrical current — enough to power a wireless keyboard.
Engineers at Binghamton University have built wallpaper that generates its own electricity — not from the sun or a wall outlet, but from the moisture already in the air. In lab tests, the material powered a wireless keyboard, according to Binghamton University.
How the wallpaper turns humidity into current
The wallpaper contains moist-electric generators, or MEGs. Glycerol along the material's edges pulls moisture out of the air, while a central layer of polyvinylpyrrolidone, patterned with wax, controls how that moisture moves. As it spreads unevenly through the material, it creates an ion-concentration gradient — and that gradient produces a small but steady electrical current.
Built for real walls, not just the lab
All the wiring needed to collect that current is built into the back of the wallpaper itself, so installing it wouldn't look any different from hanging a normal roll. The work builds on years of 'papertronics' research led by electrical engineering professor Seokheun 'Sean' Choi, whose lab has spent years finding ways to embed electronics directly into paper-based materials.
Why indoor air is a reliable power source
Indoor humidity typically sits between 30 and 60 percent, and everyday activity — cooking, showering, even breathing — pushes it higher still. That makes it a surprisingly consistent energy source for low-power devices like environmental sensors, wireless communication modules, and other smart-building hardware, without needing a battery or a power cord. The team published its findings in Advanced Energy Materials in September 2026.
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