A team of more than a dozen University of Florida engineering faculty members and graduate students have developed a tiny, inexpensive sensor that can detect hydrogen leaks and sound an alarm by wireless communication.

The device has the ability to draw its power from a tiny internal source that harvests energy from small vibrations. That means future versions could operate continuously without batteries or maintenance when affixed to cars, pumps or any other machine that produces a slight vibration.

"You need lots of hydrogen sensors to detect leaks, but you don't want to have to maintain them or change the battery every couple of months," said Jenshan Lin, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and the lead investigator on the NASA-funded project. "Our sensor can operate completely independently."

The research was presented in its entirety for the first time during an April conference in Orlando, Fla.

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