State-of-the-Art

This chapter introduces the reader to the topic. The technology of the Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System is briefly recalled from the historical, economic and technological perspectives. Then, the concept of energy harvesting is described by mentioning various possibilities of scavenging, and transduction mechanisms. The chapter is then focused on the mechanical vibrations energy harvesting by means of piezoelectric materials. A clear division in the description is given between linear and nonlinear devices. For each category historic devices are presented to highlight the scientific and technological progress. Some aspects of electronic circuitry are finally briefly discussed.